


Arrivals and Departures

by storywriter55



Series: Milestones [21]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 60
Words: 127,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27342349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storywriter55/pseuds/storywriter55
Summary: There's sadness and pain for the Ellis-Caffreys as they lose a member of their family. Part of the 'Milestones' series (18.2 years)
Relationships: Neal Caffrey/Sara Ellis
Series: Milestones [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/80614
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Neal cranked down the car window to let in some of the cool spring air as he took in his surroundings. He could see farms off in the distance and some cattle by the side of the road flying by at a good clip as he sped along the Yankee Expressway. The road was familiar by now; after all, he’d driven it in all four seasons over the past twelve months on his weekly excursions. It was a quick drive from White Plains, no more than 45 minutes, especially on Saturday mornings which was now his routine. He could see the state line up ahead and crossed over into Connecticut, looking back in his rear view mirror as he momentarily left New York State behind. 

On any given day, he never knew what he’d find at the other end; some days were good, others not so much. He hoped he’d have a nice visit today. There was a lot happening at home what with Sara preparing to go out of town for a week and Liam’s birthday coming up – but his weekly outing was sacrosanct and he smiled to himself as he thought of the loving face waiting for him at the other end.

He passed the city limits and grinned at the sign ‘Welcome to Danbury, the Hat City’. His destination was just on the outskirts of town and Neal spotted the large brick building in the distance as he took the final bend in the road. Parking wasn’t much of an issue at this time of day and he managed to get a spot near the front door, right next to the beautiful sprawling garden which was beginning to bloom with colourful tulips and bright yellow daffodils. The air was cool but the sun was gaining strength on this late May morning and Neal could feel it warming his back as he reached into the back seat of the car to grab the large bouquet of flowers he’d brought with him, as he’d done every single week for the past year.

He walked past the large welcome sign and waved to the gardener who was tending to the lush garden.

‘Beautiful day!’ he called out to the man in greeting.

‘Si! It is!’ responded the older man with a tip of his hat.

Neal walked through the ornate lobby and past the impressive sitting rooms. He noticed a small group of grey haired men and women engaged in a high stakes game of backgammon while another dozen or so residents sat, watching the news on a large screen television. Still others were clustered in small groups, chatting away about the weather or enjoying a cup of tea. 

He spotted a group of silver haired women knitting and one of the ladies piped up as he sauntered by.

‘Mr. Caffrey!’ she called out, her voice shaky.

‘Mrs. Dixon!’ Neal said, slowing down and making his way over to them.

He leaned in and placed a small peck on her cheek as the woman blushed in response. Every Saturday morning, she waited patiently for him to walk by and she never let him slip by without stopping to give her a kiss. Neal was still a gorgeous looking guy by any standards - being in his fifties didn’t change that - and the octogenarian loved having his undivided attention, albeit for just a fleeting moment once a week.

‘Is that for your great-granddaughter?’ he asked, pointing to the tiny booties she was knitting.

‘Yes, my granddaughter is coming by to visit tomorrow and she’s bringing the baby – Tiffany – now who calls a baby by a lamp’s name?’ she said, giggling as she addressed the other women of the quartet.

‘I’m sure she’s beautiful’ said Neal, always the charmer.

‘Did your friend like the sweater I knitted for her baby?’ she asked.

‘She loved it! As a matter of fact, we were over there just last week, and little Bibi was wearing it. You do impeccable work, Mrs. Dixon’ he said as he prepared to continue on his way.

‘See you next week!’ she called out as the other women giggled, the giggle of teenagers and 80-year-old women who are lucky enough to capture the attention of a good looking man thirty years their junior. 

Neal made his way to the elevator and pressed the up button, his thoughts wandering once more. Although there was some joy and laughter at Marigold, there was also a lot of pain and suffering and it was hard to stand by and watch the arrivals and departures – more often than not final departures, as seniors left in ambulances or on their way to the morgue, never to return.

He stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor and spotted a familiar figure down the hall, making notes on a chart, right outside room 522. The nurse saw him coming from a distance and put down her pen, turning to greet him.

‘Good morning!’ she said. ‘You know, I could almost set my watch by your arrival time every Saturday morning.’

Neal grinned. ‘Good morning Vanessa! Wouldn’t want to keep my girl waiting. How is she today?’

‘She had a restless night. She’s been asking for you although she’s hasn't been very coherent. The doctor is talking about the possibility of admitting her to hospital’ Vanessa said.

‘You’re kidding! Is it that bad?’ Neal asked, his smile disappearing.

‘She’s hasn't been very responsive and that mini-stroke she had last week has left her really weak on the left side. I’m afraid it might just be too much for her to come back from’ the young woman explained.

Neal sighed. It had been a long time coming but he’d continued to hope against hope that things might get better.

‘Look, go on in and have your visit and then stop by and see me before you leave. I’ll fill you in on the details’ she said, touching his arm.

He nodded and opened the door to the room, noting it was still dark inside. He made his way to the bed and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the occupant’s head.

‘Good morning, June’ he whispered softly.

She lay on the bed, unresponsive, sleeping the deep sleep of the elderly who have been heavily medicated. He made his way to the window as he continued to speak to her, unsure if she could hear him.

‘What do you say we let in some of that beautiful sunlight, huh?’ he said as he pulled back the curtains.

‘I was lucky – I got your favourites today, lilies. Aren’t they pretty?’ he continued.

‘Let’s get rid of these’ he said as he went to the small table by her bedside, removing the flowers he’d brought in the week before. He stepped into the adjoining bathroom in order to rinse out the beautiful crystal vase and get rid of the wilted blooms. He filled the vase up with fresh, clear water and returned to the room to deposit the new bouquet in its receptacle, turning to face the woman who had always been like a mother to him. Her eyes were open a crack and her face lit up as she smiled at him.

‘Oh, Byron, you’re here’ she said, her voice small.

He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his. Lately, she’d been more and more confused. Some days, she would recognize him and ask about Sara and the kids, other times she would just smile, not recognizing him at all and still other days, she would call him Byron and gaze lovingly at him. Neal had tried to keep her rooted in reality, reminding her of who he was but that only seemed to upset her more and lately, he hadn't had the heart to correct her, preferring to just hold her hand and listen to what she had to say.

‘Darling, I’m so tired. I really think we need a holiday’ she said, her gaze confused.

‘Oh, yeah?’ answered Neal with a warm smile. ‘Where do you want to go?’

‘I think we should go back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We had such a good time there last year’ she said, continuing her delusion.

‘That sounds great June’ Neal said, squeezing her hand.

He felt a lump forming in his throat.

WCWCWC

Hope Ellis-Caffrey stood in the backroom of the Raphael Gallery admiring the painting produced by one of her best students. The Saturday afternoon art class had just ended and she’d been tidying up when she decided to stop for a moment in order to better examine the canvas. She was totally captivated by the piece and didn’t hear Cameron Armstrong sneak up behind her. She let out a small gasp as he sidled up to her, lacing his arms around her waist and placing a small kiss on her neck.

‘Wow! That kid’s got talent’ he said as his eyes rose to take in the canvas.

‘She’s amazing. Would you believe she’s only twelve years old!’ Hope said as she leaned back into her boyfriend’s arms, feeling his strong, steady body against hers.

‘So, ready to take a break?’ he asked, holding her tight.

‘Yeah, I’m starved. Is Max here yet?’ 

‘Yup. He says he’s good if we take an hour for lunch’ answered Cameron, turning her around to face him.

He placed his hand on her chin, forcing her to look up at him as he placed a long, lingering kiss on her lips. Hope looked up, mesmerized; she was totally smitten with him and had been since the day he’d walked into the Raphael over a year ago. The couple had been an item almost since day one and over the past year, their relationship had deepened as they continued to work together and spend most of their free time in each other’s presence. At first, Neal and Sara had been concerned about the age difference between them but, with time, they’d learned to appreciate Cameron’s steady presence in their daughter’s life. 

‘Why don’t you and I go back to my place for lunch?’ he said, continuing to place small playful kisses along Hope’s jaw.

‘Because if we go back to your place...’ she said, eyes closed as she enjoyed the moment ‘...we won’t eat.’

He laughed, realizing she was right. At the moment, he had other things than food on his mind. 

WCWCWC

‘So, do you want a ride to the airport tomorrow?’ Sara asked.

She and Lydia Jordan were headed to Chicago for a week-long conference, representing Sterling Bosh at a best practices’ symposium. Lydia was Sara’s brightest and most promising insurance investigator and she’d become a good friend over the past couple of years as the women learned to appreciate each other’s company in and out of the office.

‘That’d be great! Sam won’t have to take Bea out’ she responded on the other end of the line.

‘Oh, and Neal wants me to tell you that Sam’s welcome for dinner while we’re gone. How about Tuesday night?’ 

‘I’ll pass the invitation along. I’m sure Sam will appreciate the company. It can get pretty lonely taking care of a baby on your own for a day, let alone a week!’ 

At 14 months, Beatrice Sara Jordan was a beautiful baby, chatty, curious and full of energy. The Caffreys loved having their goddaughter over to their house to visit and Hope had taken to providing babysitting services for the Jordans whenever they needed a break. 

‘So, we’ll be at your place at around 2:30. That’ll give us plenty of time to check in’ said Sara.

‘I’ll be ready.’

Sara hung up and glanced over towards the family room where her son, lay on the couch, listless and staring blankly at the television set. If she wasn’t mistaken that sounded like a gardening show - which meant he wasn’t paying attention in the least. She walked over to the couch, sitting on the edge and bringing her hand to rest on Liam’s forehead.

‘You okay, sweetie?’ she asked her twelve-year-old.

He just looked at her, glassy-eyed and shrugged.

‘Are you coming down with something?’ she asked, running her hand through his hair. He had to be; Liam Caffrey was not the type to let his mom run her fingers through his hair, not unless he was feeling really, really rough. And right now, he was purring at the gentle touch of his mom’s hand on his head.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Neal watched in silence as June slept. She’d chatted with him for a few minutes but even that had seemed to be too much. After a few brief exchanges, she had slipped back into a restless slumber. Her condition had really deteriorated over the past few months; she’d gone from one of the most active residents of Marigold to a woman who almost never left her bed. She’d been refusing to eat for over a week and she had become more and more confused as time went on. Her latest stroke was not her first – and her health seemed to be declining at a dizzying pace.

Neal had been in constant contact with June’s two daughters and four granddaughters. They had set up a schedule, ensuring that she had a visit at least every second day and Neal was more than happy to commit to his Saturday morning visits with the woman he’d grown to love so much. June’s oldest daughter, Marion, lived in Europe, in Nice to be exact, and she’d made two trips back to see her mother over the past six months. Her second daughter, Lorna, lived out in California but she’d moved back to New York recently to be with her mom and Neal had been in regular contact with her, comparing notes and making sure June didn’t want for anything on his watch. Cindy was married now with two kids of her own and she visited weekly as did two of June’s other granddaughters. 

As difficult as it was to watch June wilt away before his very eyes, Neal had never doubted for a moment that he needed to remain by her side, no matter what. If she left Marigold, he knew she would likely never return and he hated to think of her finishing her days in a cold, antiseptic hospital. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, noticing a small smile on her face; whatever dream she was having was a welcome respite from the constant torment she suffered while she was awake.

He found Vanessa, June’s primary caregiver, at the nurses’ station and the two made their way to a small meeting room where they settled in to have a chat.

‘The doctor is coming by later today’ she explained. ‘And I’m going to recommend we move Mrs Ellington to a hospital in New York.’

Neal stared ahead, desolate, as he reacted to the news. 

‘We just don’t have the supports here to give her what she needs’ Vanessa continued. ‘That last stroke she had was the last straw – and as you can see, she’s more and more confused.’

Neal nodded. ‘She thought I was Byron again’ he said softly.

‘I have to be honest with you Mr. Caffrey. I can’t see her lasting very long in this state. She’s had a long and happy life’ said the young woman.

Despite her 93 years, Neal still thought of June as a strong, resilient woman and he refused to believe that the end was in sight. She’d been a constant and solid presence in his life for going on twenty-five years ever since the day she’d taken a chance on a newly released ex-con whom she’d happened upon at a local thrift shop. Her faith in Neal had never wavered – even when he didn’t have faith in himself – and he credited her with helping him make some of the best decisions of his life.

‘When would they move her, do you think?’ 

‘Probably sometime on Monday. We’ll let you know and I’ll talk to June’s daughter as well’ the young woman said.

She saw the sadness in Neal’s eyes and she suddenly felt compelled to comfort him. 

‘She’s very fond of you, you know’ she said, her hand reaching out to touch his. ‘She talks about you all the time; how proud she is of what you’ve done with your life – your wife, your kids, your art gallery...’

Neal couldn’t help but smile – of course June would be proud. She’d stood by him every step of the way and although she’d wanted to help him out financially over the years, she’d respected his wishes to go it alone. 

He loved her even more for that.

He stood to leave, feeling a tightness in his throat. Vanessa got to her feet, gently touching his arm and Neal instinctively reached out to give her a hug. She’d been a wonderful caregiver ever since June had first arrived at Marigold, always supportive of the family and caring and loving towards her patient.

‘I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for... my mom’ he said, surprising himself with the words that sprang out spontaneously.

‘It’s been a joy’ she said simply as she hugged him back.

Neal couldn’t control himself any longer and he turned to leave. He made his way back down to the lobby, avoiding any eye contact and rushed out to his car, where, once safely seated inside, he promptly fell apart and cried like a baby.

WCWCWC

‘Hey, you lovebirds!’ Peter called out as he peeked around the door jamb of the back room of the gallery.

‘Uncle Peter!’ said Hope, embarrassed to be caught in a clinch with her boyfriend.

‘I just wanted you to know I’m going to stick around and catch up on some paper work this afternoon if you want to take the rest of the day off. I can give Max a hand if things gets busy’ he said.

Peter had been working at the gallery for over a year now, as Neal and Sara’s silent business partner. He did all the book-keeping and those pesky administrative tasks Neal absolutely loathed. That freed up Neal to work on the creative side of the business, sussing out new artists and making purchases for the gallery. It was a match made in heaven – almost as wonderful as their partnership at the Bureau had been all those years before. This time, though, it was Neal calling the shots and Peter was learning to bite his tongue and let him make all the decisions; after all, that was the deal they had struck and he was determined to stick to it.

‘Are you sure?’ asked Hope, with a frown.

‘Perfectly! Now go! Enjoy the beautiful day’ Peter said with a sweep of his arm.

Cam and Hope exchanged mischievous glances; they’d enjoy it all right. But they would be indulging in indoor activities.

WCWCWC

Neal made his way home. Slowly, this time. He needed to work through his feelings of gloom and sadness and he stared out at the road ahead, listening to music and wiping his eyes from time to time, not censoring how he felt or why he was feeling that way. As he neared the state line, he began to collect himself. He was going home to his life, his wonderful life, the one he still couldn’t quite believe was really his. 

He watched the rain come down and sighed, his heart heavy. Sara was going away for the week and he was going to miss her. She was his rock; he could always count on her to be there for him, no questions asked. He would just have to muddle through over the next few days, without her support.

He thought about the week ahead; a week of keeping the home fires burning, of being a single dad to two busy kids. Luckily, Hope could drive herself anywhere she needed to go and he could count on her and Cam to help out on the home front. But Liam still had to be driven back and forth to his basketball games and practices and he needed constant reminding to monitor his blood sugar levels. Although he did reasonably well at keeping himself in check, Sara was always there with reminders, making sure their son was taking good care of himself. For the next few days, that would be his job, Neal reflected as he inched ever closer to home. 

Sleeping alone in their king-size bed was another thing Neal hated. In their seventeen years of married life, he and Sara had spent very few nights apart and that was the way Neal liked it. He’d spent enough nights alone to last him a lifetime while he’d been in prison. When he and Sara had first gotten together, he’d hated it when she would slip out during the night, leaving him to find his bed cold and empty in the morning, clutching at nothing but sheets. There was something about sharing a bed that was so intimate. Besides being the place where they enjoyed each other’s company, bed had become the place where he and Sara had their most intimate conversations, where they spoke in whispers about their children, their jobs, their dreams and where they made plans for the future. 

WCWCWC

Hope fell back on Cam’s bed with a satisfied grin on her face. Sex was still a relatively new experience for her and they had been having an awful lot of fun exploring this new adventure together. Cameron Armstrong shared a small apartment near the university with his schoolmate and workmate Max Villier, an exchange student from the south of France. The young man had moved to New York to study art and he’d been matched with Cameron through the student office at NYU. Max was quiet and kept to himself and whenever he wasn’t around, Hope and Cam would take full advantage of the situation to spend some quality time together.

They still remembered the regretful incident when her parents had arrived early from their date night to find the two of them in the throes of passion on the Caffrey’s family room couch. Hope had been mortified and Cam totally embarrassed as Neal and Sara had walked in on them unexpectedly. Ever since that night, they had limited their extra-curricular activities to Cam’s apartment where they could be certain to have the necessary privacy. What they didn’t know was that it had been just as horrifying for Neal and Sara to walk in on them as the other way around and except for the requisite talk about birth control and STD’s, her parents had never mentioned the awkward moment again.

‘So, what do you want to do tonight?’ asked Cam, his lanky length turning in the bed to face her.

‘I don’t know. Maybe go to a movie?’ 

‘We did that last weekend’ he reminded her, kissing the tip of her nose. ‘How about we join up with the rest of gang and go out for a drink.’

Hope raised her eyebrows and glared at her boyfriend; although it sounded like a lot of fun, this was exactly where their age difference came into play. Hope was still underage for drinking in New York whereas all of Cam’s friends from university were of legal drinking age. Going out for a drink meant that Hope sat and watched others imbibe, sitting there with her soda and feeling like a bump on a log.

‘Okay…’ she relented, thinking of that fake ID a friend of Cam’s had given her a few months back.

She was tired of being trustworthy, responsible Hope. Maybe it was time to loosen up a little. 

WCWCWC

Neal made his way into the house, noticing just how quiet it was for a Saturday afternoon. He called out for Sara and followed her voice upstairs, noting the door to Liam’s bedroom was closed.

‘What’s up with Liam?’ he asked, pointing to his son’s bedroom door.

‘He’s not feeling well’ Sara answered as she looked up from her open suitcase.

‘What’s wrong?’

Sara sat on the edge of the bed where Neal had plopped himself. ’Not sure, maybe a cold or the flu. He seems to be running a bit of a fever.’ 

‘A fever? Oh no, that can’t be good.’

She noticed his eyes were red and sunken, his demeanour not quite as cheerful as usual and she leaned in, bringing her arm to rest around his shoulder. 

‘Are you sure you’re okay with me going away?’ she asked.

‘Of course I am’ Neal replied with his best Caffrey smile.

‘Is it June?’ 

The mention of her name seemed to reignite those feelings he thought he’d worked through and his eyes filled again with new, unshed tears.

‘Oh, honey, what’s wrong?’ she asked as she pulled him in tightly against her.

‘They’re going to move her to the hospital’ he answered, his voice breaking.

Sara lovingly ran her hand through his hair. ’Is it that bad?’ 

He nodded, his face crumpling. ‘She thought I was Byron again today.’ 

‘Oh, Neal… do you want me to cancel my trip?’ she offered. 

‘No! Of course not’ he said, getting a grip on his emotions. ‘I’m just a little upset that’s all. I want you to go. You’ve been talking about this trip for weeks.’

Sara wiped a tear that had escaped onto his cheek. ’But, that’s just work. It doesn't mean a thing if you need me here.’

He smiled through his tears; he knew she would willingly forego this trip and stay home with him and the kids if he asked. But this presentation she was scheduled to make was a big deal for her. She was one of the keynote speakers at a national conference where she’d be showcasing the mentoring program she’d set up at Sterling Bosch.

Neal ran his hand down her cheek. ’Thanks for offering honey but we’ll be fine. Your job is to go and knock ‘em dead, okay?’ 

She smiled back at him; he was all she’d ever wanted even before she’d even known what she’d wanted.

‘All right…’ she said with confidence. ‘I’ll go knock ‘em dead.’

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Liam Caffrey had been eleven years old when he’d first been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He and his sister had been left in the care of their uncle Mozzie while their parents were out of town and he’d collapsed on the floor of the school gym in the middle of a basketball game - to his godfather’s utter consternation. Sara, especially, had been terrified; her grandmother had died of complications from the disease and young Sara had never forgotten how much her Nana had suffered. She didn’t want that for her little boy and despite being reassured that Liam could live a full and happy life, she had doted on him continuously since the moment he’d been first diagnosed. 

Almost two years later, Liam had learned to deal with most of the day to day issues related to his condition. He had a bit of a ‘rock star’ status at Ridgemont Middle School and some of the girls would sit around and watch in awe as he tested his blood sugar levels in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Liam took it all in stride; he was an easygoing kid to begin with and having to deal with a serious illness had forced him to roll with the punches.

Sara was always there, though, reminding him to check his levels, asking him what he’d eaten and when and generally overseeing the management of his disease on a daily basis.

She opened the door to her son’s room and stepped in quietly to check on him. She knew all too well that having the flu could lead to serious complications for people with diabetes. It was vitally important to drink and eat at regular intervals and blood sugar levels needed to be monitored every few hours to make sure they remained in the appropriate range.

‘Honey?’ she whispered as she hovered over him and gently ruffled his hair.

‘Hmmmph’ Liam responded as he reluctantly came to.

‘I need you to drink some of this juice, okay? And I need to check your levels again’ she said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

‘Again?’ he said, groggily. ‘Mom, I’m tired.’

‘I know sweetie. Can you just sit up for me for a minute? Please?’ 

Liam groaned loudly as he pushed himself up to sit in the bed. Sara gave him a small sip of juice and proceeded to take a sample using his glucose meter which sat waiting on his bedside table. Liam didn’t react in the least; he was used to feeling the small prick on his fingertip and he didn’t give it a second thought. Keeping his blood sugar levels on an even keel was particularly important when he was sick; any changes to his usual routine had an impact on his levels and could lead to disastrous consequences.

Once the task was completed, she gave her son a kiss on the forehead and covered him up with his duvet which Liam immediately melted into, grateful to finally be left alone.

‘I’ll be back in a little while; ring if you need anything’ she reminded him, pointing to the shiny little bell the kids had used (and overused) every time they’d been sick since they were toddlers. 

Liam mumbled something unintelligible and turned over in the bed, relieved to be left alone to continue his nap. Sara sat there, staring at her son for a moment; she couldn’t bear the thought of anything ever happening to him. He’d been their miracle baby and she’d always felt like he was a mirage. She lived in constant fear that he would somehow disappear as magically as he’d appeared in their lives. 

She made her way downstairs, enjoying the eerie quiet in the house. Hope was out with Cam and it would be just her and Neal for dinner, an unusual, although welcome, occurrence - especially on a night before a trip out of town. She took the last step off the stairs and heard soft sounds coming from the dining room. Neal looked up and gave her a wide grin.

‘What’s all this?’ she asked, looking at the perfectly set dining room table.

‘I thought we could have a nice dinner, just the two of us. Just because we can’t go out doesn’t mean we can’t have our date night. This way, we can keep an eye on Liam and still enjoy a nice meal’ he replied, looking rather pleased with himself.

‘Thinking outside the box, huh Caffrey?’ she said, as she stepped in a little closer to give him a warm hug.  
He leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her lips. ’Like I always say, there’s always another way.’

‘So, how is he?’ he asked when he finally came up for air.

‘He had a sip of juice and went right back to sleep. His eyes are glassy, though. I don’t like it Neal. His blood sugar is okay for now but honey, you really need to keep an eye on that while I’m gone, all right?’ 

Neal gave her an exasperated look. It was true; he didn’t cope nearly as well as she did when the kids were sick but he could certainly handle things for a few days if he was called upon to step up to the plate. 

‘I can do this’ he said, taking her hand and guiding her towards the table. ‘You go and enjoy the conference and leave everything to me.’ 

Sara exhaled in an effort to let go of the worry that continued to gnaw at her.

‘Have you made plans to meet up with Emily while you’re in Chicago?’ Neal asked, trying to get her focussed on something other than their ailing son.

‘They’ve got us working pretty well around the clock but we’ve got some free time on Wednesday night and she’s invited Lydia and me over to her place for dinner.’ 

‘That’ll be nice’ Neal said. ‘You’ll finally get to see her new apartment.’

She nodded and took a bite of the lasagna Neal had placed on her plate. 

‘Thanks honey’ she said with a goofy smile.

‘It’s only lasagna, babe’ he replied, self-deprecatingly.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. ‘You know what I mean… Thanks for everything.’

WCWCWC

The bar Cameron Armstrong and his university friends frequented was located just a few blocks over from his apartment. The Lazy Hole catered to locals, mostly college students who didn’t have much in the way of disposable income. The beer was cheap and although the pool tables were old and weathered they were still fully functional and it was the perfect place to spend a couple of hours in the company of good friends. Cam and his buddies liked to have a couple of beers and shoot a few games while they discussed politics and art. On weekends, the guys usually included their girlfriends who tended to hang out at the bar and chat while the guys played pool in the back room. 

Hope enjoyed the company of Cam’s friends, they were welcoming and friendly and she had quite a bit in common with them considering most of them were art majors and shared her passion for producing beautiful art. 

On this particular Saturday night, she found herself in the company of Jennifer Lawson and Wanda Saunders, two of Cam’s classmates from NYU. Hope particularly enjoyed Wanda’s company; she was a true original from the way she dressed to the art she produced and Hope loved her free and easy outlook on life. Hope, herself, was an original – a very level-headed, responsible young lady who embodied the best of both of her parents: her mom’s strength and perseverance and her dad’s sensitivity and unrelenting joy for life. It made for a volatile combination at times but Hope was a kind and loving soul and that usually got her out of any situation she might find herself in. Cameron was her first serious boyfriend and the one she’d chosen to give herself to and she was enjoying the romance and the fact that Cam reminded her a lot of her dad: caring and sensitive. 

‘You okay if I go shoot a couple of games of pool?’ Cam asked as he pinned her body against the bar.

Hope gave him a good luck kiss, sending him on his way. ’Sure. Have fun!’ 

She watched as he sauntered away, his tall, lanky body moving with ease. She checked out his cute ass as he disappeared from view. 

‘So what are we drinking, girls?’ she asked as she turned and flashed her fake ID. 

‘Margaritas!’ answered the girls in unison.

WCWCWC

Sara sat with her hands covering her eyes as she and Neal snuggled on the couch watching an old Hitchcock movie. She was always brave and fearless when it came to choosing what movie to watch but inevitably as the tension built on the screen, she would turn down the volume until it was barely audible and start to watch the scary scenes through her trembling fingers. Neal watched in amusement. It was always the same old story yet his wife insisted on watching these thrillers. Despite her undisputed strength of character and no-nonsense personality, she could be such a wimp when it came to scary movies and Neal decided to have a little fun.

‘BOO!’ he shouted loudly, causing Sara to let out an ear piercing shriek.

‘You bastard!’ she cried out as she hit him across the chest, making him moan.

‘You’re so damn predictable’ he replied, laughing. ‘Why did you even pick this movie in the first place?’

‘I like this movie… up until this part’ she said, giggling and pushing Neal down on the couch.

He responded immediately by pulling her in, taking full advantage of the situation.

‘Well…’ he whispered lewdly in her ear as he began to unbutton her blouse. ‘Why don’t you get a little closer and let me protect you.’

‘Stop it!’ she cried out, half-heartedly. ‘You think you’re going to make fun of me like that and then, have your way with me?’

‘Uh huh’ he replied, completely ignoring her protests and continuing on his quest to get her naked.

She giggled, grateful for her husband’s unfailing ability to make her laugh. She was the first to admit she could get very serious, very fast and Neal’s playfulness kept her from becoming an uppity so and so. 

Neal continued to undress his wife, pulling her up on top of him and enjoying the feel of her body pressed up against his. Laughter was always a great way to bring down her defences and he enjoyed watching the oh-so-serious Ms Ellis fall prey to his charms, even after all these years. They were enjoying the moment, oblivious to Barbara Stanwyck emoting on the screen, when Sara suddenly got her wits about her.

‘Neal! Stop it! Hope will be home any minute. Do you really want her to walk in and find us…like this?’ 

Neal came to his senses and bolted upright, bringing his wife along with him. He’d been horrified to find Cam and Hope going at it on the family room couch and he sure as hell didn’t want to suffer the same fate. 

‘No! Of course not!’ he said, sounding like a guilty teenager whose parents were about to walk in on them. 

A naughty smile appeared on his face. ‘Upstairs?’

They stood, ready to bolt up the stairs when they heard the front door open. Apparently, they'd just had a narrow escape. 

‘Hope?’ Sara called out, hastily buttoning up her blouse.

‘Sort of...’ answered Cam, a most unusual response.

Neal and Sara exchanged confused looks and watched with consternation as Cameron appeared, looking very guilty and carrying a passed out Hope over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

‘Are you sure she’s all right?’ Sara asked as she swept away a tendril of hair from Hope’s sweaty forehead.

Cam had gently placed her on the couch and Sara hovered as she took in the sight of the usually responsible young adult who was her daughter looking… well, not very responsible at all. Hope’s breath smelled wicked; it was obvious she’d emptied the contents of her stomach - at least once. Her hair was plastered to her forehead in a most unbecoming way and Sara knew her daughter would be horrified to be seen by her boyfriend in this state - if only she’d been conscious. She ran her hand over her face, lovingly wiping the spittle at the corner of her mouth.

‘The girls said she had about six or seven margaritas and she was really smashed by the time I got back from shooting a few games of pool’ Cameron said, embarrassed.

Although Hope was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, Neal had made it clear on more than one occasion that he expected Cam to look out for his daughter who was known to act impulsively on occasion — where she got that from, he had no idea. Neal glared at his young protégé who had, up to this point, proven himself to be a caring boyfriend to his baby girl.

‘How could you let this happen, Cam?’ he couldn’t help but ask, his voice betraying his disappointment.

‘We go there all the time, Mr. Caffrey. And she always has a few sodas while I shoot some pool... I don’t know why she decided to drink tonight’ he said, feeling horrible about the way things had played out.

‘It’s not your fault, Cam’ said Sara, glaring at Neal. ‘She’s old enough to know what she’s doing.’

‘Well, she threw up twice, including once in my car, so I figure she’s got most of it out of system’ Cam added sheepishly.

Hope lay there, unresponsive, obviously a rookie at this drinking thing and now that they had been reassured that she wasn’t suffering from alcohol poisoning, Neal’s feelings morphed from concern to annoyance at how stupid and irresponsible she’d been.

‘I’m really sorry. I know you count on me to keep an eye on Hope and usually she’s....’ Cam stopped as he looked down at his girlfriend lying there.

Neal shrugged, letting Cam know he was well aware that no one could make Hope Ellis-Caffrey do anything she didn’t want to do – or stop her from doing something stupid when she set her mind to it.

Cam moved in closer and placed a gentle kiss on Hope’s forehead before retreating. 

‘I’ll call and see how she’s doing in the morning’ he muttered, preparing to leave.

‘Thanks for bringing her home safe’ Sara said as she stood to walk him out.

Neal stared down at his little girl and shook his head in disbelief; she was just like her mom, so stubborn and pig-headed. Anger and disappointment flared inside him at the thought of her irresponsible behaviour. 

Sara made her way back and leaned over, trying to rouse Hope from her stupor. ‘Hope, honey, wake up’ she insisted as Hope groaned in response.

She let out a most vulgar snort as she half-heartedly pushed her mom away.

‘Leave her’ said Neal, uncharacteristically angry. ‘She got herself in this state, she can bloody well spend the night on the couch in her smelly clothes.’ 

WCWCWC

‘Who was that, calling so late?’ Sara asked as Neal returned to their bedroom.

‘It was Lorna. She talked to the staff at Marigold and they confirmed they’re moving June to Mount Sinai’s palliative care unit on Monday.’ 

He settled on the edge of the bed. ‘I’m just not sure how she’s going to react to the move. She’s so fragile - and confused.’

‘Why don’t you go along and get her settled’ Sara suggested.

‘I might do that - depending on how Liam’s feeling. Do you think we should bring him to the clinic before you leave tomorrow?’ 

Sara shrugged. ‘Let’s see how his night goes and if his fever keeps going up.’

‘What was it the last time you checked?’ Neal asked as he began to undress.

‘101.8’ she replied, facing him. ’Honey, can you set the alarm for 3:00, I want to get up and check his blood levels.’

‘Really?’ Neal asked as he began to clue in to the precariousness of Liam’s condition.

‘I don’t want to take any chances’ Sara said, her face tense. ‘You know you’re going to have to do this until he starts eating normally again.’ 

He nodded in response; Liam’s condition could not be taken lightly and he needed to rise to the occasion despite his concern for June and her predicament. He thought of his usually level-headed daughter, lying drunk as a skunk on the couch downstairs. Hopefully, she’d morph back into her old responsible self and lend a hand; it was looking to be a particularly eventful week.

‘As if that wasn’t enough, we have to worry about our perfect child who’s lying in a drunken stupor on our couch’ he added, looking defeated.

Sara placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a loving pat. ’I’m pretty sure she won’t be doing that again.’

Neal shook his head in disapproval; he was still furious at Hope for her lack of judgement – and at Cam for not keeping a better eye on her. He shook it off and settled into bed, his arms settling around his wife. 

‘Hi’ he said, looking fondly at Sara as if he was seeing her for the first time. 

She chuckled at the serious look on his face. ‘Hi’ she cooed back at him.

‘I’m going to miss you’ he said tenderly as he ran his hand down her cheek.

‘Good’ she said with a smile. ‘You know what they say - absence makes the heart grow fonder.’

He settled back and opened his arms, inviting Sara to snuggle up against his chest as she did most nights. She let out a loud sigh as Neal laughed in response.

‘What’s that all about?’ he asked, jostling her.

‘Nothing. It’s just that, even when things go bat shit crazy around here, nothing can get to me when I’m lying in this bed next to you.

‘That’s nice babe’ he said wistfully. ‘I feel the same way.’ 

‘What do you say we shut out this crazy world for a while?’ he asked, running his arm down her side and making his amorous intentions known.

She turned to face him, her eyes meeting his. ’That sounds great Caffrey.’ 

WCWCWC

The sun came up with a vengeance on Sunday morning and Neal reluctantly opened his eyes to check the time. It was already eight o’clock and there was still a lot to do. Sara’s flight was at four o’clock and he needed to get her and Lydia to the airport in plenty of time. He looked over at Sara, sleeping soundly. She’d been up to check on Liam twice during the night, returning to bed and reporting that all was well. He wanted to let her sleep a little while longer and he slipped out of bed quietly and closed their bedroom door behind him. The door to Liam’s room was open and he spied his son fidgeting restlessly on the bed. It was his turn to look in on him.

‘Hey buddy’ he said quietly as he made his way inside the room. ‘How are you feeling?’

Liam opened one eye to look at his dad. ‘It would be great if you guys let me sleep for more than one hour at a time’ he moaned.

Neal chuckled in response. He made his way into the washroom to get a wet facecloth and a fresh glass of water and returned to his side.

‘So, you know the drill’ he said as he grabbed for the thermometer. ’Let’s start with your temperature.’

Satisfied that his fever hadn’t spiked, he moved to the glucose meter and prepared a lancet. Neal hated pricking his son’s finger and was secretly thankful that Liam usually did the test by himself but he cowboyed up and prepared to take the sample as Liam lay impassive.

He put the strip into the monitor and stared bleary-eyed – squinting because he’d left his reading glasses in the other room. ‘4.3’ he read out loud, noting that was a little on the low side. Neal well knew that his fasting levels should be closer to five and he looked at his son with concern.

‘Have a sip of juice, okay buddy?’ he said, not waiting for a response and bringing the glass of OJ up to his son’s mouth.

Liam reluctantly took a sip.

‘And you’re going to have to sit up and eat a little. How do pancakes sound?’ 

Liam nodded with a muted smile – he usually loved his dad’s blueberry pancakes.

‘With blueberries?’ he asked, barely a whisper.

‘With blueberries’ Neal responded as he ruffled his hair.

He gave Liam a short reprieve, telling him to rest until he returned with food and made his way downstairs to get started, momentarily forgetting that Hope was camped out on the couch, foul breath and all. 

He glanced over in her direction, noticing her squirming in her sleep in response to the sound of his footsteps. He proceeded to get started on breakfast, grabbing eggs and milk from the fridge and taking out a bowl and some dishes. He kept one eye on his daughter, watching as she stirred, her eyes briefly opening.

He watched her sit up, groggily taking in her surroundings; likely wondering what the hell she was doing fully clothed on the couch with the sun coming up. She blinked, looking up at her dad, working away at the kitchen counter; she could have sworn he was taking some perverse pleasure in banging the pots and pans a little louder than usual. She felt crappy, hung over from her excesses from the night before and all she wanted was complete silence so she could turn over and sleep it off.

‘Dad!’ she finally shouted, her voice impatient. ‘Can you keep it down?’

Neal looked over at his daughter, unimpressed with her little outburst. She’d always had a good head on her shoulders, showing herself to be trustworthy and capable of making good decisions. He had not been impressed to see her slung over Cameron’s shoulder the night before and he sure as hell wasn’t impressed with her current behaviour. He gave her a glaring stare as he waited for her to come to her senses.

To his surprise, she just glared back defiantly; even her hair hurt and she threw her head back down dramatically on her pillow, eager to resume her nap.

Neal stormed over to the couch and hovered, waiting for her to open her eyes.

‘You know, Hope, we have a life here and if you’re going to go on a bender, you can’t expect the world to stop turning while you sleep it of’ he said, his voice growing angry.

‘Dad, I really don’t need this shit right now!’ she shouted uncharacteristically as she opened her eyes a crack.

‘Well, you’re behaving like a spoiled brat. If you can’t be civil, I suggest you go up to your room and have a time out’ he answered a little too loudly, realizing he was talking to an eighteen-year-old young woman and not some unruly toddler.

Sara suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wondering what all the ruckus was about.

‘Hey, you two! I’m pretty sure the neighbours are on the verge of calling the police. Take it down a notch, will you?’ 

Neal had not said his last word. ’Miss Tequilla here doesn’t appreciate the noise I’m making while I’m preparing her breakfast’ he said, sounding like a petulant teenager himself.

He was furious at his daughter for her arrogant attitude and he looked over at Sara who was giving him a death stare. He took a deep cleansing breath, deciding he needed to take the high road. 

‘You know Hope, what you did last night wasn’t just stupid and irresponsible, it was potentially dangerous. And to top it off, you’re underage! What you did is illegal!’ 

‘Illegal?’ she said, totally losing her cool. ‘Well, that’s rich coming from you, Dad! I’m sure with your… colourful background, you know all about illegal activities’ she spat out with all the venom she could muster.

‘Hope! That’s enough!’ said Sara sternly as she realized what their daughter had just said.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Hope knew she had gone too far. Her anger had led her to a place she had sworn she would never go. She could see all the blood draining from her dad’s face as the full force of her words hit him and she watched as he instinctively took a step back as if he’d been kicked in the stomach.

She looked from her mom to her dad, and realizing she had stepped over the line, she retreated, running towards the stairs, up to the safety of her room.

Neal just stared at Sara in shock; he never expected such malice to come from his beautiful daughter. She was his ‘sweet pea’, the perfect little girl who’d always looked up to him.

‘She didn’t mean it, Neal’ Sara said, hoping to soften the blow.

Neal looked at his wife expressionless, and he took a deep breath, returning to the kitchen in silence so he could finish getting things ready for breakfast. He’d been hurt plenty of times in his life but this unexpected attack coming from someone he loved so very much was more than he could handle.

Hope couldn’t have hurt him more if she’s stuck a knife through his heart.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Pete Milville turned over on the thin, lumpy mattress and glanced over at his cellmate who was reading, sprawled out on the bunk next to him. Jimmy had combed his hair and was fidgeting on his bed and that could only mean one thing: it was Sunday and his girlfriend was coming for a visit. She came every Sunday afternoon, come rain or come shine and Jimmy would prattle on about the impending visit non-stop from Monday to Saturday. Every week. Pete had seen the chick up close on a couple of occasions and frankly, she wasn’t someone he’d bother combing his hair for. But hey, there was no accounting for tastes. He thanked his lucky stars that this was the last week he would have to endure his cellmate going on at length about Roxanne’s next visit; Pete was finally being released after 14 long months.

Following the incident at Sterling Bosch, he and his brother Johnny had been found guilty of a laundry list of criminal charges including illegal use of a firearms, attempted theft and illegal confinement. Pete had been relieved that his baby brother Johnny had been spared the worst of it. Like a good older sibling, he’d taken responsibility for the break-in, portraying Johnny as the hapless younger brother who just happened to be along for the ride. His mother, God rest her soul, would be proud of him for stepping up and taking the brunt of the responsibility for the botched up theft. Johnny had gotten eight months and during that time, except for seeing him in the low security yard at the Metropolitan Detention Centre, Pete hadn’t seen much of his baby brother. He was looking forward to Johnny’s impending visit and to resuming their life again on the outside. He’d gotten plenty of valuable advice on ‘how not to get caught next time’ while he was in the slammer. One thing about prison, it gave you plenty of time to plot your revenge if you happened to be a vengeful kind of guy.

And Pete Milville was definitely that kind of guy.

WCWCWC

Neal was quiet all through breakfast. Sara could tell he had been mortally wounded by Hope’s little diatribe. He picked at his food mindlessly, retreating into himself and needing time to work things out in silence. On so many occasions over the years, he had shared his fear that his past would come back to bite him in the ass. But Sara had always reassured him that his past life was just that: his past life and that it had nothing to do with the wonderful life he’d worked so hard to build over the past twenty years. She was furious at Hope for her little outburst but she, more than anyone, knew that sometimes emotions got the better of us, no matter how much we cared for someone and that in the heat of the moment, people said things that could be devastatingly hurtful and could never be unsaid.

Hope lay low, staying in her room for most of the morning and shortly after noon, Sara poked her head through her open bedroom door to say goodbye as she prepared to leave for the airport.

‘I’m getting ready to go’ she said as she sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed.

Hope looked up with bags under her eyes, still reeling from her misadventure from the night before. 

Tears stained her face. ‘See you, Mom.’

Sara could see from the look on her daughter’s face that she fully understood the damage she’d caused to her relationship with her dad. There was no point in chastising her about it – she appeared to have done a pretty good job of that herself.

‘Just talk to him’ Sara said simply. ‘Daddy will forgive you… eventually. Believe me, I’ve said plenty of hurtful things to him over the years and he’s always come around; he’s a very forgiving guy.’

Hope avoided her mom’s gaze and nodded.

‘You know, Grandma June isn’t doing well. The doctors aren't sure how much time she has left. Daddy’s really hurting right now’ she added.

Hope’s eyes grew at the news. She knew her Grandma June had had a small stroke but she hadn’t realized just how dire the situation had become. That would certainly explain the sadness she’d seen in her dad’s eyes lately.

‘Is Liam all right?’ Hope asked, her voice faltering.

Sara shrugged. ‘We need to keep an eye on him until he gets better. Can you check in on him while Daddy takes me to the airport?’

‘Yeah, sure. I’ll make sure he’s okay.’

Sara stood to give Hope a kiss on the forehead and the young girl started to sob – all the pent up emotions of the last few hours finally bursting at the seams.

‘I love Daddy so much’ she said, her voice choked.

‘Well then, you need to fix this’ Sara said before leaving.

WCWCWC

The trip to the airport took forever considering Sunday was always a big travel day. Luckily, the mindless chatter between Sara and Lydia kept Neal’s mind busy as they drove along at a snail’s pace. He’d insisted on seeing her off; he wanted to be with her until the moment she boarded the plane. He was feeling dejected, devoid of his usual anchors: Sara, his main port in the storm, was leaving for the week, June’s situation was precarious and now his usually solid and loving relationship with his daughter was being seriously tested. 

Sara and Lydia talked excitedly about the conference, their upcoming presentation and about little Bea who, according to her mom, was talking up a storm. Neal enjoyed the easy chatter as he drove; talk about his beautiful goddaughter always put a smile on his face. Once there, he insisted on walking them all the way to the security gate and Lydia thanked him for the ride and slipped through to wait for Sara on the other side, giving the couple a few minutes alone. 

‘Are you sure you're going to be okay?’ Sara asked with a look of concern. 

Neal gave her a forced smile but Sara could see the pain and worry hidden right underneath the surface; as good as he’d been at hiding his feelings in the past, he was sorely out of practice.

‘Hey, it’s me’ he said with a shrug. ‘I’ll be fine, don’t worry.’ 

‘I’ll call you when I get there…’ she said ’... and if you need me to come home, just...’

‘I know, honey, I know. I’ll call you’ he said, taking her in his arms for a final hug.

The embrace was solid and reassuring and Neal held on tight, not quite ready to her go. Sara clung to him, enjoying the moment. He finally got a hold of himself and he pulled away, smiling at her and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

‘Have a great time’ he said.

WCWCWC

The drive home seemed even longer now that he was on his own and Neal’s mind wandered, inevitably returning to the words Hope had so vehemently spit at him that morning. Ever since he’d become a dad, his worst fear had been that, someday, his kids would look at him and see an ex-con instead of a loving father. He’d worked hard to live his life on the straight and narrow since Sara had gotten pregnant all those years ago and he’d succeeded for the most part. But you could never undo what had been done just like you couldn’t unsay what had been said. Sadly, Neal had come to the realization that he would have to live with the fallout from his criminal deeds for the rest of his life. This was the price he had to pay, he thought as he drove in silence, for all those things he’d done, all the people he’d conned and all the pain he’d caused. He just hated that, after all this time, the past continued to rear its ugly head and the consequences of his past behaviour continued to haunt him. For better or for worse, his past would always be a part of who he was.

He saw the exit for Brooklyn and made a last minute decision to point the car in that direction.

WCWCWC

Liam slept most of the afternoon and Hope checked in on him a couple of times, making sure he had something to eat. His fever was still hovering around 102˚ but his blood sugar levels were stable. Hope jumped in the shower and sometime in the middle of the afternoon, Cam called to see how she was doing. She was embarrassed to talk about the events of the night before but, as always, he made it easy, telling her that what had happened was pretty well a rite of passage (albeit a not so shining moment) and that he hoped he would never see her in that state again. She was more than happy to reassure him on that score. 

Although her relationship with Cam seemed intact, she couldn't say the same about her and her dad and Hope began to agonize about how to make amends. She needed to bounce things off someone so she picked up the phone and within minutes, Olivia Mason was seated at their kitchen table, providing the sounding board she so desperately needed.

‘What’s up? You sounded terrible on the phone. Did you and Cam have a fight or something?’ the young woman asked as she sipped the soda Hope had set in front of her.

‘Or something...’ Hope said vaguely.

Olivia waited for her friend to continue; she obviously had something on her mind. Hope had never shared her dad’s past with any of her friends not even Olivia – or Cam for that matter. She was smart enough to understand that Neal had paid his dues and didn’t need to have every new acquaintance in his life find out about his criminal past. After all, it was not what defined him and it certainly wasn’t what Hope saw when she looked in his loving eyes. 

‘I said some hurtful things to my dad’ she said solemnly.

‘Is that all?’ Olivia chuckled. ‘I say hurtful things to my parents all the time.’

‘No, I mean, really hurtful...’ Hope said, cryptically.

‘O-kay’ Olivia replied. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hope.’

‘I can’t give you any details, Liv, but I have to find a way to make him understand that... that I didn’t mean any of it.’

‘Hope, I know your dad; I think he can take a little bit of lip from you. He adores you, that’s obvious’ Olivia reminded her best friend.

Hope’s eyes filled with tears as she realized her dad had been nothing but a strong, loving role model for her in every possible way. He’d supported her in everything she’d ever wanted to do; he was making financial sacrifices in order to get her into Carnegie Mellon and he’d supported her as an artist in ways she could never even have imagined, including displaying her work at the Raphael for the whole world to see. 

Olivia was a no-nonsense kind of person; that’s what her best friend loved most about her. She took her friend’s hand and squeezed it.

‘It’s a no-brainer, Hope. Just tell him you’re an idiot and you’re sorry for whatever it is you said!’ she finally counselled with a flourish. ‘Problem solved.’

Hope chuckled – leave it to Olivia Mason to wrap it up in a neat little package and tie it up with a bow.

WCWCWC

‘Hi’ said Peter as he opened the door to find Neal standing there. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you today!’

‘I just dropped Sara off at the airport and I thought I’d drop by, see what days you were planning to be at the gallery this week’ Neal lied as he sat down on the couch and accepted a beer from Peter’s outstretched hand.

It wasn’t a lie exactly but Neal had a lot more than the work schedule on his mind and he needed to bounce things off one of the few people he could confide in. Apart from Sara, Peter knew him better than any other human being on the planet and Neal knew he could always turn to him for advice and know he was getting the real deal.

He decided to open with June’s situation and he filled Peter in on the fact that she was being transferred to hospital and that, if all went well with Liam, he would accompany her so she wouldn’t be traumatized. Peter reassured his best friend that he could pick up the slack at the gallery for most of the week; it sounded like Neal had a lot on his plate with Sara away.

‘So, what is it you’re not telling me?’ Peter finally asked.

Neal Caffrey, conman extraordinaire was out of practice these days and he was increasingly transparent when it came to his emotions, something Peter Burke had learned to read over the years.

‘Hope came home drunk last night’ Neal said, matter of factly.

‘Hope? My Hope? That doesn’t sound like her’ Peter said. His goddaughter could do no wrong in his eyes; she’d always been perfect in every way.

‘Well, that’s not the worst of it’ Neal confided. ‘We had it out this morning and when I reminded her that underage drinking was illegal, she... she kind of threw my past in my face.’ 

‘What?’ Peter said, incredulous. ‘What do you mean?’

‘She said I’d know all about doing ‘illegal stuff’ and the look in her eyes, Peter... she was so... so angry and so spiteful... it was like she was trying to hurt me.’

Peter reached out and touched Neal’s arm. ’I’m sorry buddy. You don’t deserve that.’ 

While Neal had been on anklet, all those years ago, he’d suffered Peter’s incessant teasing and his constant threats to send him back to prison. The barbs had stung back then but Neal had always managed to take them in stride, never wanting Peter to know to what extent his comments were wounding. But, over the years, Peter’s growing respect for Neal and for the choices he was making had changed the way he treated his ex-CI and these days, Peter would never think of bringing up Neal’s past and taunting him. As far as he was concerned, Neal had done his penance and the page was turned once and for all.

‘I just don’t know if we can come back from this Peter. Is that what she sees every time she looks at me - a criminal? Has she been waiting all this time to finally let me know what she really thinks of me?’ Neal asked, obviously hurting.

‘Neal, kids say stuff – look, El was pissed off at me just the other day for forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning and all of a sudden it became about my character and my lack of regard for everything she’s ever done for me since the day we got married. People say stuff when they get upset’ Peter said, the voice of reason.

Neal nodded; he knew that to be true. He and Sara had had it out on so many occasions throughout their marriage and they always found their way back to each other, better and stronger than before. She knew all about his past and yet she loved him unconditionally and had told him on more than one occasion that his past – although painful and certainly nothing to be proud of – had somehow contributed to making him the wonderful man he was today. 

‘Look, I know Hope’ Peter continued. ‘She’s probably kicking herself right now. Just give her a chance to explain and then… forgive her Neal, just put it behind you and let her back into your heart.’ 

Neal shook his head and smiled. How did Peter always know the right thing to say?

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Neal had barely driven away and Peter was already on the phone, intent on giving his beautiful goddaughter some unsolicited advice. Just as he’d played matchmaker for Sara and Neal all those years ago, he wanted to suss her out and nudge her in the direction of a reconciliation with her father.

‘Hi honey! Is your dad home?’ he asked innocently as she answered the phone. 

‘Oh, hi Uncle Peter. No, he’s driving Mom to the airport’ Hope said, her voice flat.

‘So, how are you, sweetie? Did you have fun with Cameron yesterday?’

‘Not really...’ she answered, sounding regretful.

‘What happened?’ he asked, sensing an opening.

‘Oh, Uncle Peter, I’ve made such a mess of things. I did something really stupid and then I followed it up by doing something even more stupid’ she confided.

‘Do you want to talk about it?’ 

Suddenly, he could hear Hope crying softly on the other end and he began to feel badly for manipulating her into talking about what had happened. 

‘I did something horrible’ she blubbered.

‘Honey, everything can be fixed in life’ he said sympathetically.

‘I don’t know if this can be fixed’ she moaned. ‘I hurt Dad’s feelings – really bad.’

‘Have you apologized?’ he asked, knowing full well the answer.

‘Not yet. I’m afraid he’ll be too upset to forgive me.’ 

‘Oh, Hope! I think you know your dad better than that. He’d forgive anything you did.’

‘Not this, Uncle Peter. I said some hurtful things about his past. I knew it would upset him but I did it anyway and I saw his face... he was... just totally devastated.’ 

Peter let out a sigh at the other end as he listened to his beautiful goddaughter’s heart breaking confession. 

‘It’s so irrelevant to me what happened before he and Mom got married. He’s not a criminal anymore and I know he struggles with that... I know he wishes he could go back and fix all those things he did but none of that matters to me. I love him’ she whimpered.

‘I know we’ve never really talked about this before, Hope. But you need to know that your dad had a rough childhood and even though he did things he shouldn’t have done, he’s paid in full for his crimes and that’s all we can ask of any human being. Everybody deserves a second chance in life; it’s up to you how you handle it and I’d say your dad is pretty well the poster child for successful rehabilitation. And for the record, he never intentionally hurt anyone in his life.’ 

‘All I know is that he’s been the best dad I could ever ask for and whatever happened in the past should have stayed dead and buried and now, I’ve gone and dug it all up and I want to undo what I did...’ Hope cried.

‘Honey, you can’t undo what you did – no more than he can change his past but you can pick up from here and wipe the slate clean and tell him how you feel about him... and that you’re sorry for what you said.’ 

‘What if he can’t forgive me?’ she asked, worried.

‘I think you know your dad better than that – I know I do.’

WCWCWC

‘So, what’d you find out?’ asked Pete Milville as he sat across from his brother in the Metropolitan Corrections Centre visitors room.

The rudimentary room was awash with correctional services staff and Johnny looked around nervously to make sure no one was listening before answering.

‘She and her husband have a gallery in Manhattan and one of those FBI guys is a partner with them’ Johnny Milville whispered.

‘That Burke guy?’ asked Pete.

‘Yeah. And Morton wants in; says he’s got a bone to pick with the Ellis broad too’ Johnny explained.

‘Excellent! So, listen, I need you to case the place, this gallery. Find out the best time for us to go in and pay a little visit; we could go in and grab a few things but what I really want to do is leave a big mess behind for them to clean up. After all, they weren’t worried about messing up our lives when they testified against us and sold us down the river.’

‘I think you’re watching too many of those gangster movies, Pete’ Johnny joked in response to his brother’s last reference.

‘Shut up. Just do what I tell you. And don’t forget to pick me up Tuesday morning. They’re letting me out at 10:00 so be here’ he barked at his younger sibling.

WCWCWC

Neal walked into the house, feeling better than when he’d left. Peter was right, he needed to let Hope come to him and when she did, he needed to open up his arms and his heart to his little girl. He could hear clanging noises coming from the kitchen and he stepped into the back of the house to find Hope standing there, surrounded by bowls and a cluttered counter overflowing with baking supplies while Raffie nipped at her heels, hoping something tasty might spill to the floor. She looked up shyly when he walked in and suddenly Neal flashed back to fifteen years before. He saw three-year-old Hope standing there, looking very guilty, as his favourite coffee mug lay shattered on the floor at her feet. Her face had dissolved into tears, her little body trembling as Neal had stepped forward to take her in his arms and comfort her.

Accidents happened. 

This time though, it was his heart and not his favourite mug that had been broken but the feeling of déjà vu was overwhelming.

‘Hi Daddy’ Hope finally said, her voice trembling.

He smiled back.

‘I was just making those chocolate chip oatmeal cookies you like so much’ she managed to eke out before she totally fell apart and began to cry inconsolably.

Neal took a few steps towards her and she ran the rest of the way, throwing herself into his open arms and bawling as Neal felt the emotions rising in his chest.

‘Daddy, I’m so so sorry!’ she cried as she buried her face in his shirt.

‘What I said was horrible and totally uncalled for and I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgave me’ she blubbered, almost unintelligibly.

‘Hey, hey, hey. Stop it, of course I forgive you, sweet pea’ he said, cradling her in his arms.

He could feel the tension leaving her body as he spoke and she pulled away to look at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

‘You do?’ she asked, a small smile peeking through the tears.

‘Of course I do’ he said, touching her face and wiping away a wayward tear.

‘But what I said —’ she began.

‘... is in the past, honey. We can’t change it but we can move forward just like I have to learn to leave my past behind me’ Neal interrupted.

‘Daddy, I want you to know I never think of you that way. I don’t even know where that came from... I guess I was just so angry at you and I wanted to lash out and hurt you somehow and.... all of sudden, I was saying those horrible things.’

‘Look, we’ve all said and done things we need to be forgiven for – I know that better than most. I was pushing your buttons – I was angry too.’ 

‘But still, that’s no excuse for what I said. I’ve heard you and Mom talking and I know it’s still hard for you to leave the past behind. I used that against you and that... that was unforgivable.’

‘No, honey. It might have been hurtful and mean... but not unforgivable. Don’t you know, yet, that there’s nothing you could possibly do or say that I wouldn’t be able to forgive? You’re my little girl and I love you, no matter what’ Neal said, his voice rather unsteady.

‘Thanks Daddy’ Hope said, finally breathing again.

She hugged him once more, feeling his strong, loving arms envelop her, comforting her, reassuring her that he would always be in her corner, no matter what she said or did. The tension finally broken, father and daughter smiled at each other and Neal began to take in the state of the kitchen counter.

‘So, I see you went to the Sara Ellis school of cooking’ he said, as he looked around at the messy kitchen. ‘You want some help with those cookies?’

She laughed goodheartedly. ’Yeah, Dad. I could really use your help.’ 

WCWCWC

Sara had been thinking of Neal and Hope non-stop since she and Lydia had boarded the plane and although she’d tried to make polite chit-chat with her travelling companion, she’d been unable to chase the memory of what had transpired that morning. She thought of strong, loving Neal who was so forgiving and she recalled all the times she’d flown off the handle and said things she’d immediately regretted. She realized that she often took advantage of his easygoing nature, thinking that hurtful things rolled off him like water on a duck’s back. But the truth was, they didn’t. Neal was a gentle loving soul and when he was hurt, the pain ran deep. She resolved to make more of an effort at censuring herself whenever they argued about something in the future. 

Unfortunately, Hope had inherited Sara’s quick temper and viper tongue although thankfully, like her dad, Hope was quick to forgive and to ask for forgiveness whereas Sara would often let things fester when she was angry. Hope really had inherited the best of both of them. Sara hoped the two of them would work things out; Neal didn’t need this additional stress what with June being so sick and him having to deal with Liam. She wondered in passing if she’d done the right thing leaving them behind. 

By the time they finished up dinner in the hotel restaurant, Sara was exhausted from all the emotions of the day. She bid Lydia goodnight and settled into her room. She’d been intent on calling home when her phone rang indicating a Chicago number.

‘Hey!’ came her sister’s voice. ‘I see you arrived safe and sound.’

‘We did. We’re staying at the Langham’ Sara said as she took in the opulent room.

‘The Langham! La-di-da!’ said Emily. ‘Sterling Bosch sure knows how to put you up in style!’

‘Well, the conference is being held here so it works out well’ answered Sara letting herself fall on the luxurious feather duvet.

‘So, is Wednesday still the best night for us to get together?’ asked Emily. ‘I can pick you guys up at the hotel.’

‘Great! See you then, sis!’ Sara said before hanging up.

She was dying to find out how Neal was doing and she immediately dialled home, eager to hear how things were going at the old homestead. Hope answered on the third ring, sounding much happier than she’d been earlier in the day.

‘Hi Mom!’ she said brightly into the phone.

‘How are things?’ Sara asked vaguely.

‘Great! Dad and I made manicotti for dinner’ she said.

‘Oh yeah? Does that mean...’ Sara began.

‘Yeah, we had a talk and I apologized and... well, we’re good’ answered Hope, sounding relieved.

‘Oh honey, I’m so glad you worked it out. Can I talk to Daddy for a minute?’

‘Dad!’ Sara heard her call out. ‘It’s Mom.’

After a few seconds, Neal’s voice was heard, also sounding much brighter than when she’d left him.

‘Hey Repo!’ he chimed. ‘How’s the windy city?’

‘Windy!’ she answered ‘So? Everything good?’

‘Well, I wish I could say Liam had turned a corner but his fever is still pretty high and before you say anything, I’ve been keeping a really close eye on his numbers’ he said. ’As a matter of fact, I’m sitting right next to him and he just gave me a little smile. Do you want to say hi?’ 

‘Yeah. Put him on’ Sara said, sitting up.

‘Hi Mom’ came Liam’s voice, small and weak.

‘Hi honey. Still not feeling so good, huh?’

‘Noooo’ he whimpered, no doubt fishing for sympathy.

‘Hang in there okay, sweetie. And listen to Daddy – he’s not as pushy as I am but I’m still keeping an eye on things here with my crystal ball’ she said, hoping to make him laugh.

He grunted and she grew disappointed, realizing he wasn’t doing well at all.

‘Neal, don’t take any chances. If his fever is still high in the morning, maybe you should bring him to the clinic to get checked out’ she said, trying to micro-manage from a distance.

‘Sara, honey, listen to me. I’m here, I’ve got this, okay? You just enjoy your time away and I’ll call you if there’s anything’ he said, trying to take charge. ‘Just try not to worry.’

She let out a sigh, surprised at her husband’s forcefulness. 

‘And one more thing’ Neal continued, reverting to his more typical self. ‘I love you!’

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

‘Mom! Moooom!’ the voice echoed in the dark house.

It was almost three in the morning and Neal shifted in bed, reaching for Sara and encountering a cold spot where she usually lay – had he really just heard that or was he dreaming?

‘Mooom!’ Liam called out again.

Neal bolted out of bed, instantly shaking off the remnants of sleep as he darted across the hall towards Liam’s room. He turned on the light in the hallway and could see his son, trying to sit up in bed without much luck.

‘Liam, what’s wrong?’ he said as he got closer.

‘I don’t feel good’ Liam mumbled, seemingly confused. ‘Where’s mom?’

‘Mom’s on her trip, remember? It’s okay, I’m here buddy’ said Neal as he proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed and take stock of the situation.

Liam was shaking and was looking pale – signs Neal had seen on only a couple of occasions since his son’s diabetes diagnosis. He quickly pricked Liam’s finger, eager to find out if his suspicions were correct. Neal’s hands shook slightly as he inserted the tab in the meter, a combination of being woken from a dead sleep and concern for his son. He took in the result and frowned, grabbing the glass of orange juice by the bedside in one swift motion.

‘Liam, you need some juice - right now. Come on, buddy, sit up’ he added urgently as he coaxed his son into a sitting position. He knew all too well that if he didn’t react quickly, there could be dire consequences and he held the glass in his trembling hands, forcing Liam to take a long slow drink. 

‘A little more’ Neal said as he noticed sweat on Liam’s forehead – another obvious sign of low blood sugar.

They had been lucky. Over time, he and Sara had learned to keep Liam’s sugar levels under control. It had taken months to adjust his diet to his physical activities but they’d found the perfect balance as long as he didn’t deviate from his routine. Whenever he was sick, however, he went off his regular schedule and it became difficult to keep those sugar levels steady. His son was obviously in the throes of an episode of hypoglycemia – or low blood sugar. Neal watched as Liam fell back on his pillow, his skin sallow.

‘I want Mom!’ he moaned.

‘Buddy, Mom’s in Chicago – remember?’ Neal repeated, increasingly worried.

Liam looked at him, confusion in his eyes – another worrisome symptom of his present condition. Neal waited patiently for the juice to enter his son’s bloodstream, glancing at the clock flashing on Liam’s bedside clock. Five minutes should do it, he thought, as he prepared to test his blood sugar once again. The result was somewhat more encouraging – 4.2 – but still too low and Neal shook Liam slightly to bring him out of his restless sleep.  
‘Liam, just a little bit more juice; come on buddy, you can do it’ he said as Liam balked.

Neal thought of Sara, miles away, always so much better than he was at dealing with these kinds of situations. He hated to see the kids struggling or in any pain; she was so much better at keeping a cool head and doing what needed to be done in an emergency. He watched the clock move at a snail’s pace waiting for the juice to enter his son’s system and finally carried out another check, breathing a sigh of relief at the result. He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t heard Liam calling or if Liam had slept through the incident.

‘You want to come and sleep with me?’ Neal asked as he stroked his son’s hair.

Liam nodded and Neal helped him up, guiding him towards his bedroom.

‘Do you need to pee?’ he asked as Liam stared back in disbelief.

‘I’m twelve years old Dad’ he replied deadpan. 

To Neal’s relief, Liam seemed to be returning to his old sarcastic self. The Caffrey men settled in the big bed and within seconds Liam was sound asleep. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Neal, who lay there shaking for a long, long time.

WCWCWC

On Monday morning, Liam looked much better and actually came down for breakfast. He still wasn't well enough to go to school and Neal remembered he’d have to phone the school and let them know – something else his better half usually took care of. Hope had a day off school and they sat at the kitchen table, sharing breakfast and discussing their plans for the day.

‘Uncle Peter’s going to cover the gallery’ Neal said to Hope as they ate.

‘Dad, can I go with you to see Grandma June today?’ she asked.

Neal smiled at the offer; it would be nice to have some moral support. June’s transfer to hospital was bound to be hard on her. He and Lorna had agreed that she would be waiting at the hospital for her mom and that he would head over to Marigold and help June get ready for the move to her new ‘home’, all in an effort to keep her from getting upset by the change in her environment.

‘That would be great!’ he said with a smile.

‘Me too!’ added Liam, obviously delusional about the current state of his health.

‘Buddy, you’re just getting over the flu; I don’t think you’re up to going anywhere today. How about I ask Uncle Mozzie if he can come over and spend the afternoon with you?’ Neal suggested.

Liam’s face lit up – he loved his uncle Mozzie and spending time with him meant fun and games; after all, Mozzie was an even bigger kid than his godson.

‘And…’ Neal added as an idea took shape ‘...we could bring the laptop and if she’s up to it, maybe you can talk to Grandma June on Skype.’

Neal didn’t know how long June would be with them and he worried that Liam wouldn’t get the chance to see her one last time – she was his godmother and he’d always had a very close relationship with her, going back to when he was a baby.

‘Yeah!’ Liam responded, satisfied with the solution proposed by his dad.

WCWCWC

‘Can I help you find anything?’ Peter asked the young man who was meandering through the gallery.

He didn’t look like a typical patron, not so much because of how he was dressed – a suit and tie – but because of the way he was behaving. Peter had been a federal agent long enough to pick up on suspicious behaviour and the way this guy was walking around and snooping in all the corners of the gallery had him wondering about his intentions. 

‘What’s back here?’ the man asked as he peeked into the back room.

‘That’s just storage space and it’s where we have our art appreciation classes and children’s art classes’ Peter responded, puzzled by the question.

‘Oh’ said the young man, taking a step inside. ‘My… daughter might enjoy that.’

‘Well, here’s an application form’ Peter said, handing him a piece of paper. ‘The next session starts in two weeks.’

The man looked at Peter and smiled. ‘So, what’s upstairs?’

‘Well, the owner displays his works and the works of his daughter up there. You’re more than welcome to take a look’ answered Peter.

The tall, slim man made his way upstairs as Peter waited behind – no sense in hovering. Within minutes, he’d returned.

‘What are your hours of operation?’ he asked as Peter handed him one of Neal’s business cards with the requisite information.

‘Thanks... I’ll certainly be back’ the man said cryptically as he shook Peter’s hand.

Joe Morley stepped out into the sunshine and smiled wickedly. ‘I will definitely be back’ he muttered under his breath.

WCWCWC

Neal and Hope drove the familiar road to Danbury in relative silence. They always enjoyed each other’s company but now that they’d made peace with each other, they were especially pleased to be spending some quality time together. They listened to the music of the Beatles – Hope had very eclectic tastes – and Neal sang along, making her giggle whenever he tripped over some of the lyrics to the songs.

‘You know, Grandma June is not the same woman she was a few weeks ago’ Neal warned, preparing Hope for the inevitable.

‘How bad is it?’ Hope asked, concern apparent in her eyes.

‘Honey, I’m not sure how much time she has left – that stroke she had a couple of weeks back has left her really confused.’ 

‘You mean she could die soon?’

‘I don’t know, sweetie. But they’re moving her to the palliative care unit so...’

‘Palliative care? Really?’ Hope took in the information, reflecting on her grandma and how she’d been there for her since she was little. Suddenly, her mind shifted to her dad.

‘Dad, I’m really sorry about yesterday...’ she began before Neal cut her off.

‘Honey, we’ve been through all that – we’re good’ he said, a warm smile on his face.

‘I know, but... this thing with Grandma June... it’s just...’ she hesitated and Neal looked over at her wondering what she was getting at.

‘...what if something happened to you and I never had the chance to tell you how much you mean to me?’ she concluded.

‘First of all, nothing’s going to happen to me’ said Neal, reaching for her hand. ‘... and secondly, I never doubted for a moment that you love me.’

Hope smiled at her dad; he was her hero in every sense of the world although Cameron Armstrong was making giant strides in that direction lately. Her dad had supported her through thick and thin and he was always proud of her accomplishments; she wanted to do good by him, make him proud.

‘Love, love me do...’ Neal sang, squeezing her hand as they continued up the road.

WCWCWC

Vanessa was sitting at June’s bedside when Neal entered with Hope right behind him. June was sleeping, although she appeared restless as evidenced by the way she was fidgeting on the bed.

‘Hi’ said the young woman, her voice quiet.

‘Vanessa, you remember my daughter Hope’ Neal said as he made his way closer to June.

The woman smiled at Hope and stood to give her spot over to Neal.

‘How’s she been?’ he asked.

‘Not too bad, today. She’s been pretty lucid but sometimes when she wakes up, she needs a few minutes to get her bearings’ she replied. 

Neal had noticed that too – whenever June would awaken from a nap, it would take her a while to take in her surroundings and whose company she was in.

‘The ambulance will be here in about thirty minutes’ said Vanessa. ‘And Mrs. Ellington’s daughter had all her things moved to the hospital yesterday.’

Neal nodded ‘Yeah, she’s waiting for us at the other end.’

The sound of his voice made June stir and she opened her eyes, a smile coming to her lips.

‘Byron, you came’ she said, her voice weak.

‘Hey June’ Neal said, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

Hope looked on with concern. Why was June calling her dad Byron?

‘And who’s this pretty girl?’ June added, with her usual grace.

‘You remember Hope, don’t you June?’ Neal said in a calm voice although he could see Hope’s heart breaking at the sight of her grandmother not recognizing her.

‘What a lovely name’ June said, her voice faraway.

‘You remember that we’re going away today, right?’ Neal said with a twinkle in his eye.

He wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for her and if that meant playing along, he was more than happy to oblige – anything to avoid unnecessary anguish for June.

‘To New Orleans?’ she asked, her eyes lighting up.

‘Wherever you want to go, June’ Neal answered. ‘Some people are coming to move you and I’ll follow in the car and meet you there.’

June nodded in agreement.

‘Good, now do you want to close your eyes for a few minutes before we go?’ he asked, taking her hand in his.

June nodded once again and closed her eyes. Neal glanced over at Hope, seeing the look of sadness on her confused face.

‘It’s okay’ he mouthed to her as he winked.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Sara sat in the large conference room of the Langham Hotel, surrounded by colleagues from insurance companies all over the world. She was in her element and yet, she couldn’t stop thinking of the goings on back home in White Plains. At one time in her life, home would have been wherever she found herself – mostly, wherever work took her, considering the fact that work was the only thing in her life. But now, things were different and home was Neal – and the kids – and always would be. She wondered about June, how she was doing, how Neal was coping with the day to day routine of keeping the home fires burning, how Liam was recuperating, if Hope was feeling okay about what had happened between her and her dad. These days, those precious individuals were at the centre of her universe and they were never very far from her thoughts. 

She looked around at the hundreds of people around her, wondering if they all had someone back home as special as the people in her life; she grabbed her phone and began to text a quick message.

WCWCWC

When June opened her eyes again, Neal noticed she was no longer calm and serene; her eyes looked wild and frightened and she stared up at him with alarm. The attendants had arrived and had begun to get a gurney ready to transport her to the ambulance and their sudden appearance seemed to be the source of her anxiety.

‘Neal, what’s going on?’ she asked, her voice shaking.

‘Hey, June. These nice young men need to move you to another ... room’ he fibbed, trying desperately to keep her calm and focussed.

‘Why?’ she cried. ‘I don’t want to go.’

Neal swallowed hard; this was exactly what he’d been afraid of. He took her hand in his and summoning up all the calm and courage he could muster, he spoke softly into her ear.

‘I’ll be with you the whole time’ he whispered as she looked up, alarmed.

She was crying softly and Neal could see that the attendants were ready to prepare to move her. He stepped away momentarily and took Hope aside while he let them work.

‘You okay, sweet pea?’ he asked, taking her arm.

She nodded, although her eyes were watering up and he could feel how tense she was.

‘We’ve got to get her to the hospital; we don’t have a choice. Do you think you could handle driving the car if I go in the ambulance with her?’ he asked, sensing that his presence would help smooth things over for June.

‘Sure Dad, I can do that’ she answered, looking over at her grandma whimpering as they placed her on the makeshift bed.

She hadn’t done much highway driving since she’d begun to drive almost two years before (and she seemed to have inherited her mom’s poor driving gene) but desperate times called for desperate measures and Neal knew she could rise to the occasion.

‘I know you haven’t had the chance to do much driving on the highway – or in Manhattan for that matter – but use the GPS and you’ll be fine, okay?’ he said, his arm around his daughter.

She nodded; she could see he was upset with the turn of events and the last thing she wanted to do was add to his anxiety by having him worry about her ability to drive to the hospital.

‘Piece of cake’ she lied with assurance – she did have some of those Caffrey genes after all.

‘Neal!’ June’s voice was heard, shrill and loud.

‘Right here’ Neal said as he sidled up to her, taking her hand. ‘See, I told you, I’ll be with you the whole time’ he added with a twinkle in his eye.

June seemed to relax at the sight of him and after a moment, the procession left room 522 of the Marigold Seniors Home, never to return.

WCWCWC

‘No way!’ Mozzie exclaimed, looking over at Liam. ‘Did you just let me win?’

They’d been playing one of Liam’s many video games at which the young man was infinitely more skilled than his bespectacled uncle. Truth be told, Liam seemed to be fading fast and Mozzie had to decide between continuing to take advantage of his godson’s weakened state or suggest a rest time for his young charge.

‘How about we take a bit of a break? It looks like you could use a nap’ said Mozzie, ruffling Liam’s hair and pointing to the pillow on the couch right by Liam.

‘Uncle Moz, is Grandma June gonna die?’ Liam asked as he began to settle in.

Whenever the young man broached the subject with his dad, he could feel him becoming sad and he’d avoided asking the question outright. The question took Mozzie by surprise and he hemmed and hawed for a moment before answering.

‘Everybody dies, Liam’ he said finally – and wasn’t that a kernel of wisdom.

‘I mean soon, in the next little while’ Liam added.

Mozzie took a deep breath before answering – he wasn’t big on discussing death, having always preferred to live life in the here and now, unencumbered by thoughts of consequences... or death.

‘She’s very sick and she’s very old. Chances are she won’t get any better’ he finally admitted to his godson and to himself.

Mozzie loved June – she represented all that was good about living on the edge, enjoying the good life that she’d ‘earned’ from her ill gotten goods as the wife of a successful white collar criminal. And yet, she was kind and compassionate, giving in return and always helping whoever she could – a flawed person, just like him and Neal.

‘I hope I get to see her before she dies’ Liam said, his head on the pillow.

Mozzie fidgeted as he sat on the armchair nearby.

‘Dad said he’d skype but...’ Liam began, his voice suddenly far away.

‘Your dad said, he’d try to skype – if June was up to it’ Mozzie corrected.

Liam let out a sigh, his young mind obviously churning away despite the fact that sleep was imminent.

‘What do you think happens to us when we die, uncle Moz?’ he finally asked.

There was a loaded question if Mozzie had ever heard one and a question he’d attempted to avoid his whole life. If there was any justice in the world, he didn’t think he’d be welcome at the pearly gates and he tended to keep his mind focussed on the here and now, preferring to get his gratification in the short term.

‘I’m not sure we want to know’ he answered cryptically.

Liam threw him a quizzical look. He wasn’t privy to everything about his favourite uncle but he knew enough from listening to his parents talk to know that Mozzie didn’t always do things on the up and up. And yet, he loved his uncle who was always there whenever he needed anything – whether it was to have some fun or to just spend time together chilling. They were like-minded and such existentially driven discussion were not usually part of their conversations.

‘But, what...?’ Liam began as Mozzie quickly cut him off. He was less than comfortable with the way the discussion was going and it was forcing Mozzie to think about stuff he really preferred not to think about.

‘Hey, that’s enough, young man!’ he finally said, feeling the need to bring the uncomfortable conversation to an end. ‘You need to get some rest!’

He hated it when he was forced into introspection despite his best attempts at keeping things light. But Liam had a way of making him confront his inner demons and Mozzie was fighting him all the way.

Kids he thought, they were more trouble than they were worth.

WCWCWC

Hope watched as they loaded her grandma into the ambulance and she noted how her dad hovered as the attendants worked. This was exactly why she loved him so much. He had once told her that courage didn’t mean not being scared but rather doing what needed to be done even though you were scared. She could see he was putting his money where his mouth was. She knew how hard it was for her dad to watch someone he loved suffering and yet he didn’t blink – keeping his mind focussed on what he could do to make things better for June. He gave Hope a final wave as he stepped up into the ambulance and Hope made her way to the car saying a silent prayer for both of them.

June continued to whimper as she was settled into the ambulance and Neal was instructed by the attendant to sit at the head of the gurney where a small bench was located. The young man worked diligently and Neal could see him fishing through some medication as he came finally came up with a loaded syringe which he proceeded to plunge into June’s arm as she continued to look at Neal in horror.

‘This is a shot of morphine, it’ll help her relax and sleep until we get there’ said the young man, appearing to be in total control of the situation.

Neal nodded in response, his hands glued to June’s shoulders as her eyes closed gently.

‘Is this your mom?’ asked the attendant, looking up at Neal with compassion in his eyes.

Neal looked at him and gave a gentle smile. No need for long, convoluted explanations about their relationship; it was pretty simple, really.

‘Yeah’ he replied.

‘I know how you must be feeling’ the young man continued, a tinge of sadness in his voice ‘We had to move my grandmother to hospital a few weeks back; it’s tough to see someone you love struggling.’

‘How is she doing?’ Neal asked, always the conversationalist.

The young man hesitated for a moment before answering. ‘She died two weeks ago.’

‘I’m sorry’ said Neal as he projected himself into the future, imagining himself having to deal with June’s eventual final departure.

‘You know, at some point, it just gets really hard to watch someone you love suffer so much and you begin to pray that they’ll be relieved of their pain’ he said, wise beyond his years.

They sat in silence for a while; Neal watching June as she slept peacefully and he wondered what might be going through her mind. He thought back to the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her. What was it that had drawn him to this woman – was it just the fact that she’d walked in carrying some amazing suits or was there something else that had attracted him to her in the first place? She had such presence when she walked into a room and Neal admired the confidence she exuded whether it was at a gala or in a thrift shop. 

She’d been open and easygoing from the first moment they’d met, confident in her ability to read people and Neal still thought of their first encounter as the turning point in his life: the moment where someone had taken a chance on him even though he’d done absolutely nothing to earn that trust. Once June had offered him a place to stay – and not just any old place at that – he’d known he could never forgive himself if he let her down. From that first day, he’d wanted to be worthy of her trust even though she had assured him on many occasions over the years that he had done that just by being himself. The thought of June being disappointed in him was unbearable and he’d made many decisions in his life based on what June would have done in similar circumstances.

She moved uneasily on the gurney, moaning softly and she suddenly became restless as the attendant took stock of the situation while a monitor went off nearby.

‘What’s going on?’ Neal asked, his voice panicked.

The attendant spoke into his walkie-talkie, communicating efficiently with his partner who was driving.

‘We’ve got a cardiac arrest back here’ he called out. ’Code 4!’ 

Neal’s heart stopped as he heard the ear-splitting sound of the siren and he watched in horror as June thrashed on the bed in front of his eyes.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Mozzie wasn't sure when it had happened exactly but he had somehow nodded off as young Liam slept nearby. He stood, stretching his back and making his way to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of the fine wine Sara had left open on the counter. He took a long slow drink and checked the time; June would be arriving at Mount Sinai anytime now. He hoped the transfer had gone well. He resisted calling Neal, figuring his friend would call when he could and he returned to the armchair in the family room, grabbing a nearby book for company.

WCWCWC

Sara glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time; still no answer from Neal. Whatever he was doing, he obviously couldn't pull himself away to respond. She checked her watch: 2:30, that meant it was 3:30 in New York. Maybe he was still getting June settled in at the hospital. Seated next to her in the conference room, Lydia laughed, reacting to something amusing the current speaker had just said and Sara snapped back to reality, trying so very hard to concentrate on what was going on around her. 

WCWCWC

Hope drove along, keeping pace with the ambulance as she listened to the music her dad had chosen for the journey. She sang along, trying hard to keep a clear head as the speedometer reached 65 mph, a speed she had to admit she wasn't very comfortable with. She concentrated on the road, thinking of her dad up ahead in the ambulance and hoping everything was okay with her precious grandma. She had been shocked to hear June refer to her dad as Byron; she’d had no idea she’d become so confused. Hope had seen her just a few weeks before and June had asked about school, about Cameron and how Hope was enjoying teaching at the gallery. The woman she’d just left was someone else altogether and Hope couldn't understand how she could have deteriorated so rapidly over such a short period of time. The phone rang and she expertly pushed the appropriate button on the steering wheel column, seeing her mom’s name pop up on the display. 

‘Hi mom’ she called out.

‘Hey honey. How are you?’ asked Sara, obviously unaware her daughter was motoring down the highway. 

‘Good’ Hope replied, noncommittal. 

‘How was school today’ Sara asked. 

PD day, remember?’ Hope replied. ‘I'm in the car… and I'm following Dad. He's in the ambulance up ahead with Grandma June. 

Sara’s face tensed - Hope was driving along the highway all by herself! 

‘I can see your face from here Mom’ Hope said with a smile. ‘… and I'm fine, don’t worry. Grandma June was just really upset about being moved so Dad decided to go with her in the ambulance. I'm following them to the hospital.’

How is she?’ Sara’s voice echoed in the car.

‘Mom… I had no idea she was in such a bad way’ Hope said, her voice sad. ‘She didn't even recognize me.’

‘Oh honey, that’s probably just the medication she’s taking and with that stroke she had… She gets confused really easily.’

There was silence on the line. ‘Are you sure you're all right?’ Sara asked - not that there was a hell of a lot she could do from a distance.

‘I'll be fine… Oh my God!’ Hope suddenly exclaimed.

‘What? What is it?’ 

‘The ambulance just sped off and the sirens are blaring’ Hope said, watching helplessly as the vehicle began to move away from her at a dizzying speed.

WCWCWC

Although the intention had been to bring June through the entrance to the hospital’s palliative care unit, plans were revised in light of recent events and the ambulance pulled into the emergency room bay at 4:07 p.m. June had arrested on the way over and although the paramedics had managed to bring her back from the brink, her condition was critical and she needed to be stabilized, properly assessed and treated before she could be settled into her new home. Neal sat shell shocked in the ER waiting room, the sight of June almost dying in front of his eyes likely to haunt him for a long time. The already long drive into Manhattan had seemed interminable as he’d sat there, helplessly watching the EMTs working hard to keep her from slipping away.

He spotted Lorna coming towards him and he rose to greet her. Although in her late 60s, Lorna Barrett was spry and energetic, a characteristic she shared with her mom. She was a retired school principal and her late husband has been a surgeon, affording them a comfortable life in San Diego where they'd raised their two girls. Her recent relocation to New York to care for her mom had taken its toll on her; she'd arrived on the East coast during the coldest winter on record and she’d found the transition to the frigid climate difficult to deal with. 

Although Lorna was well aware of the unique place Neal had in her mom's heart, until recently, she’d been wary, having only met him on a couple of occasions. She had immediately liked him and she could certainly see some similarities between Neal and her late dad - likely one of the reasons her mom had taken a shine to the ex conman. When Neal had first moved into the mansion on Riverside Drive, both Lorna and her sister had been concerned about the charming young man who had captured her mom’s heart. He’d appeared out of nowhere and the women had worried the man with the deep blue eyes and mischievous grin might be plotting to con their mom. Despite her street smarts and excellent judgement, June Ellington might still be perceived as an easy mark by some malevolent young con and Lorna had warned her mom incessantly to be on her guard. 

Of course, June had totally dismissed the notion, having made up her mind from the very first moment she’d laid eyes on Neal Caffrey that he was no menace whatsoever to her safety. Since her return to New York, Lorna had had the opportunity of scrutinizing the man who had won her mom’s heart all those years ago and she had to admit she's been just as smitten as her mom had once been. It was obvious Neal cared deeply for June and in the absence of her daughters, he had stepped into the breach and become the son she’d always wished she’d had. Lorna and Marion were more than willing to respect their mom’s wishes and grant Neal his rightful place as part of the Ellington clan. 

‘What happened? Why are you in emergency room?’ she asked, out of breath.

Neal placed a hand on her shoulder, inviting her to sit. ‘Your mom went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance’ he blurted out. ‘They're assessing her now.’

Lorna gasped and Neal brought his arm around her shoulder in an awkward hug in order to reassure her. 

She stared ahead in disbelief. ‘I hope we didn't do the wrong thing moving her from the nursing home’ she said, her voice shaky.

‘We didn't have a choice Lorna. Marigold just isn't equipped to give June what she needs right now’ Neal reminded her. 

She nodded. She knew there was little else they could do for her ailing mom but acknowledging that fact didn't make their reality any easier. 

Her eyes met Neal’s, seeing the anguish there. ‘You look pretty shook up. Are you all right?’

‘Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just glad she wasn't alone. She was pretty upset when it came time to leave the nursing home.’

‘Thank God you were there for her’ she said, fidgeting.

Neal smiled sadly. ‘Where else would I be?’

WCWCWC

Sara had insisted on keeping Hope company until she made it all the way to Mount Sinai Hospital, coaching her through the Manhattan traffic and instructing her on the best route to get to her destination. She sat in the hotel lobby, miles away from her family, chattering about this and that in an effort to keep her daughter calm and focussed during what was a most unusual and stressful situation. Hope was thankful for the company; hearing her mom’s voice was almost like having her sitting in the passenger seat right beside her. 

‘I'm here Mom’ she announced as the hospital came into view. ‘Thanks for talking me through this.’ 

‘All right honey. Ask Daddy to call me as soon as there's any news, okay?’ 

‘Will do’ answered Hope, signing off and making her way towards the emergency room. 

She was unsure what she’d find when she got there but one thing was for sure, her dad would need her support to get through the next little while. In her mom's absence, Hope was determined to be there for him in his hour of need. She spotted him pacing up and down the corridor near the ER waiting room and ran towards him. 

‘Dad?’ she said, a single word full of questions and concern. 

His arms were instantly around her in a tight hug. ‘Hope! Thank God you're here!’

‘What happened? I saw the ambulance speed away…’

‘Grandma June had a heart attack in the ambulance’ he explained breathlessly. 

Lorna was instantly at their side. ‘Lorna, you remember my daughter Hope, don’t you?’

‘Hope, I haven't seen you since you were a little girl’ the woman said with a weak smile. ‘You're a young woman - a beautiful young woman.’ 

‘Hi Mrs. Barrett’ Hope replied. 

The trio settled in to wait, Hope excusing herself to fetch coffee for them and returning to continue their vigil in silence. It took a little more than an hour before someone finally came out looking for the relatives of June Ellington. Lorna invited Neal along to meeting with the doctor with Neal more than happy to oblige. 

The emergency room doctor was brief and to the point. ‘Mrs. Ellington has suffered an acute myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack. I’m afraid it’s caused a great deal of damage to her already weak heart muscle.’ 

Neal and Lorna sat in silence, listening intently as he continued. 

‘There is significant blockage of the left anterior descending artery which is the most significant artery for blood supply to the body. Normally, we would go in and do angioplasty but considering Mrs. Ellington's age and delicate condition, I'm afraid that is not an option.’ 

‘Is there nothing you can do? asked Lorna, her voice quivering. 

‘Nothing that wouldn't put her in even more jeopardy than she’s already in.’

Neal exchanged a worried glance with Lorna. ‘So what happens now?’ he asked.

‘We can still transfer her over to the palliative care unit — they will give her excellent end of life care there. They’ll control any pain she's having and make her comfortable for the time she has left. There's no point in moving her to the cardiac unit since we are clearly not in a position to intervene aggressively should she arrest again.… which, unfortunately, is more than likely to happen’ the doctor warned. 

‘Do you know… how much time she has left?’ Lorna asked.

‘It could be weeks, days… I couldn't venture a guess’ the man admitted. ‘But if you have loved ones who would like to see her before she passes, I suggest they don't wait before making their way here.’

Neal and Lorna looked at each other, the same look of desolation on both their faces. They thanked the doctor and he reassured them that the transfer over to the palliative care unit would be happening within the next few hours. 

One thing was certain, June would be surrounded by her loved ones when the time finally came for her to leave this world. 

Neal would make certain of that.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

As promised, June was transferred to the palliative care unit where she was welcomed by seasoned, caring staff, a huge relief for both Neal and Lorna. As she slept peacefully, they sat side by side in the well appointed lounge a few doors down from her private room, working out a schedule so that June would have someone with her for the foreseeable future - at least during the daytime hours. Neal had read somewhere that the average stay at the unit was 8.3 days and he wondered in passing how long it would be before June left them to finally join Byron. The main thing was that she not suffer needlessly; it would be cruel and selfish to want to keep her with them for the sake of a few more days. The loving memory of June Ellington would linger indefinitely in their hearts, of that Neal was certain.

He stood by her bedside, looking out the window at the setting sun, his mind a restless mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Although he would have liked to camp out by June’s bedside 24/7, that was not a realistic option. He had the kids to think about, to say nothing of his responsibilities at the gallery. He was grateful to have Peter watching over things but he couldn't let that go on indefinitely; he had to start pulling his weight. On top of that, he needed to keep a close eye on Liam and the last thing he wanted was for Sara to have to drop everything and come home. 

It was almost ten o’clock by the time he and Hope finally made it home to find Mozzie snoozing on the hide-a-bed in the family room and Liam sound asleep in his room. Mozzie reported that Liam was on the mend; he’d had dinner, his fever had all but vanished and his blood sugar numbers had remained stable throughout the day. That was a huge relief for Neal and quite a contrast from the night before when he’d found his son on the verge of a diabetic coma. He climbed up the stairs, bone weary and wondering where he’d get the energy to face the next few days. Hopefully, he and Liam would both get a good night’s sleep, free from the drama of the previous night. 

His thoughts turned to Sara as he slipped into bed and he reached for his phone. Except for a quick text he’d sent her, giving her the bare bones of what was going on, he hadn’t really talked to her since the previous night. Her soft, calming voice was exactly what he needed before he settled in for the night.

‘I was hoping you’d call’ she said when she picked up.

‘Was there ever any doubt?’ Neal asked rhetorically.

‘So, how are you, my sweet, wonderful husband?’ 

‘Exhausted’ he replied as he let his head fall wearily on the pillow. ‘It’s been quite an eventful day.’

He hadn’t shared the events of the previous night with Sara. He knew her all too well and he was certain she would have hopped on a plane and come home if she’d known Liam was that sick. He’d confess. Eventually.

‘Is June all settled in?’ 

‘Yeah, she’s peaceful, heavily sedated though. Honey, you should see this palliative care unit. It’s incredible – the staff is amazing’ he said, his eyes closing despite his efforts to keep them open.

He sounded absolutely beat and in that moment, all she wanted was to be home with him and the kids. ’Neal, I want to come home’ she declared out of the blue. 

‘Sara, that’s ridiculous’ Neal said, a little too sharply. ‘I mean it’s totally unnecessary. I’m fine.’

‘What about June?’ Sara asked, her voice suddenly shaky.

‘I don’t know… it’s a crapshoot. She could last a few days, a few weeks... no one knows for sure.’ 

Sara sighed loudly on the other end. It was so hard to know what was best. Leaving the conference ahead of her presentation would be an unwise career move and there would be consequences but she hated to think that June might pass away before she made it back. Mostly, she wanted to be there for Neal, to support him through this rough time.

‘Sara?’ Neal said, his voice rough.

‘Yeah?’

‘I miss you. This bed is way too cold without you’ he said, his voice a pure lament.

‘Oh, Caffrey! Why don’t you just close your eyes and go to sleep.’ 

‘Mmm’ he moaned his eyes closed. ‘I want to hear your voice a little while longer. Tell me something... anything.’ 

Sara let out a soft laugh on the other end of the line. He was such a romantic and she knew exactly what he wanted – and needed – to hear.

‘Neal, I love you. You are the most wonderful, loving, caring man I’ve ever met’ she said, meaning every single word.

‘Oh, yeah? You forgot sexy’ he said and she could well imagine the naughty smirk on his face.

‘Oh, and sexy’ she added, her voice languid.

With that, Neal smiled and finally hung up, hoping for sweet dreams.

WCWCWC

On Tuesday morning, Liam was looking almost well enough to return to his regular activities but Neal wanted to be sure so, channeling his inner Sara Ellis, he suggested he stay out of school one more day just to give him a chance to fully recover.

‘Can we visit Grandma June today?’ the pre-teen asked as they finished up lunch.

‘I was going to drop in on her anyway, I guess I could drag you along’ said Neal as he playfully poked his son in the arm.

‘I have something I want to give her’ said Liam, mysteriously.

Neal looked at his son, a puzzled look on his face.

Liam’s mind seemed to wander and all of a sudden he spoke up, an unexpected question on his lips.

‘Dad, how did you meet Grandma June?’ asked Liam, seemingly out of the blue.

‘You never heard that story?’ Neal asked as Liam shook his head.

Neal smiled as he recalled the circumstances – how destiny had intervened that day in that little thrift shop in Manhattan. Liam knew all about his dad’s stint in prison and Neal was thankful that part of the narrative was incidental to the story he was about to share. He recounted how June had walked in and how he’d been curious when he’d seen her pull out all those fancy suits. He recounted how he’d felt an instant connection to her and how she’d shared Byron’s love for the finer things in life. He left out June’s confession that Byron had won that Devore suit in a backroom poker game with the man himself – no sense in his son knowing those details about his beloved grandma.

‘Do you live nearby?’ Neal asked as he tried on the gorgeous vintage suit.

‘Not far’ June responded as Neal smiled his best conman smile.

‘Would you like to come over for a cup of coffee?’ she asked.

Neal looked at the woman he’d just met and wondered what her angle was. She didn’t know him from Adam – not even his name – and yet, she was inviting him back to her house for coffee. She was either very naive, an easy mark or maybe she was looking to con him herself – either way, Neal was intrigued. What could a woman of wealth such as herself possibly be thinking inviting a total stranger into her home? The little angel on his shoulder kept shouting at him to tell her to run the other way – as far away as possible from Neal Caffrey, conman extraordinaire.

‘Sure!’ Neal responded. He was curious as to her motives and sharing a cup of coffee with this delightful woman sure beat going back to that fleabag hotel until he absolutely had to. 

They made their way towards the mansion on Riverside Drive, June lacing her arm in Neal’s as they walked. They talked about the last play June had seen at the Imperial Theatre and they discussed the merits of Italian Roast versus the poor quality blends which were all the rage in fancy coffee houses. Finally the woman looked over at Neal with a smile.

‘By the way, I’m June, June Ellington’ she said.

‘Neal... Caffrey’ he said, although why he’d hesitated he wasn’t quite sure. It wasn’t as if he was running a con or anything. Or was he?

‘So Neal Caffrey, what were you doing in that thrift shop just now?’ she asked.

Neal was usually quick with a reply but he took a second to mull things over as a half dozen possible responses played in quick succession in his head: he could be a guy, down on his luck, who’d just lost his job or maybe a poor man whose wife had left him alone and bereft or even some guy who was recovering from a serious illness.... He could play the sympathy card; see what this refined older lady could do for him. But surprisingly, even to himself, when he finally spoke something entirely unexpected spilled out.

‘I was released from prison today’ he said, instantly wishing he could take it back and tell her something else.

‘Prison?’ she said without faltering, her arm still firmly laced in his.

‘I got early release on some work program with the FBI. I was found guilty of bond forgery four years ago and I’m kind of... well, I’m kind of an expert on forgeries all around so they want me to work off the rest of my sentence helping them catch some bad guys’ he said, finding the words flowing more effortlessly now.

As surprised as he was that he was actually sharing this information, Neal was even more shocked at June’s reaction – or in this case, lack of reaction. She was behaving as if what he’d just confessed was the most natural of explanations as to why someone would be foraging for hand me downs in a thrift shop.

‘Well, Neal, I can see you are a man with discriminating tastes’ she said.

He smiled as he looked at her. How had she been able to detect his appreciation for the finer things in life when he was standing there in an old weathered overcoat, he wondered.

They arrived at the house and the easy banter continued. The place was incredible – easily the most majestic home in the neighbourhood. June explained how the house had been home to her husband Byron and their two girls and how he’d died a few years back leaving her with the means to live her life as she pleased. She shared the fact that Byron had not always been a boy scout and suddenly the kindred spirits began to bond as they shared a cup of what Neal was discovering was the finest Italian roast he’d ever tasted. An hour later, after some negotiation, they had come to an agreement: Neal would move into June’s guest room in exchange for doing some odd jobs around the house, making both of them very happy indeed. 

The rest, as they say, was history.

Neal sat back as he watched Liam’s face – of course, he’d sanitized the story just a little to make it more palatable for an impressionable young mind but basically the story was the same: a story about a chance meeting that had evolved into a lifetime of love and respect for this incredible woman who would eventually become his children’s grandmother and godmother to his only son. He still owed this wonderful woman so much.

‘I like it’ Liam said, approvingly.

‘Oh you do, huh?’ Neal said with a chuckle. ‘I guess it goes to show you should always go with your instincts. Grandma June understood that from the very beginning.’

‘So, you ready to go?’ he added as he stood to gather the lunch dishes.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

The Milville boys and their nasty sidekick, Joe Morley, sat at their local diner in the Bronx, frantically plotting their revenge on the Ellis/Caffrey/Burke trio. As a result of the incident at Sterling Bosch the year before, they had been sentenced on a variety of charges and they were pissed that they’d been foiled in their attempt to get their hands on the lucrative prizes in the SB vault. 

After the fact, Pete Milville had read the papers, like everybody else, and he’d learned that the guy who had come in on his white horse that night was none other than Neal Caffrey, ex-CI for the FBI and that he was married to that loud-mouth redhead who’d given them such a hard time. That big black dude who’d ploughed into Pete worked for the Bureau so he was off-limits (everybody knew you didn’t mess with the Feds) but that older guy, Burke, who’d had a skirmish with Johnny, well, he was retired and lo and behold, he just happened to be best of friends with the troublemaking couple. 

The little expedition they were planning was purely a settling of scores, no more, no less, and Pete – especially – felt he needed to get it out of his system before he could move on to more exciting and lucrative endeavours. He’d been stubborn and vengeful his whole life – his mom had always told him so – and it was a character trait he just couldn’t shake, not that he’d ever wanted to try. He remembered as far back as kindergarten when he’d sneakily poured his chocolate milk inside little Matthew Simon’s brand new winter boots in an effort to avenge the snarky comment the kid had made about a drawing of his – take that, you little brat he’d thought as he gleefully made a mess for the other kid to have to explain to his parents. Of course, Pete had wished he still had that damn chocolate milk when recess had come around and he’d had to watch his classmates enjoying their favourite libation – but the sacrifice had been well worth it when he’d later heard little wimpy Matty crying inconsolably in the cubby room!

He was pissed at Joe Morley too; the guy had given them intel that hadn’t paid off and Pete had ordered Johnny to track the guy down when he’d finally been released from jail, recruiting him to help with their little prank – which Joe was more than happy to do. He’d been burned by that bitch Sara Ellis and if he could help in making her life a little more miserable, he was definitely on board. 

Pete glanced down at the crude plans that Joe Morley was ineptly drawing on a paper napkin – a rough diagram of the layout of the Raphael Gallery. The intention was to go in and make a big mess so the uppity couple and their smart ass friend would have to start building up their damn gallery again from scratch. Johnny had done research about the Raphael using his trusty (and everyone else’s on the planet) Google search engine and he pulled out a printed page from his jeans pocket and began to paraphrase what he’d found out about the new gallery.

‘This place panders to ‘up and coming artists’ Johnny said using exaggerated air quotes. ‘I don’t think there’s much valuable stuff in there.’

‘I noticed that they’re displaying some stuff by Jonas Clifford when I was in the other day’ Joe said.

‘Who the hell is ‘Jonas Clifford’?’ Johnny asked, again with the air quotes.

‘He’s a local artist, pretty well known – his stuff might be worth taking instead of destroying is all I’m saying’ said Joe Morley, without air quotes.

‘Look, Moe and Larry, this isn’t the effen Louvre’ said Pete. ‘We’ll break in and just grab what we can, pummel the rest and make a run for it. What’s the security system like?’ he asked, turning to Joe.

‘It’s nothing!’ Joe laughed. ‘Certainly not connected to the police station, that’s for damn sure. I can easily disable it – it’s a Sec48, easy peasy.’

They looked up at the waitress as she returned with their order ‘Who ordered the cheesy omelet?’ she asked.

WCWCWC

Neal and Liam drove into Manhattan, avidly discussing the playoff situation in the NHL. Liam was a big hockey fan and his dad tried to take him to a couple of Rangers games every season. The playoffs were well underway and Neal had managed to snag some tickets to the second round game which was being played at Madison Square Garden the following Tuesday night. He was biting his tongue not to give it away - it was an early birthday gift for his son - and he looked forward to sharing an evening with him in a loud, smelly building watching grown men fight over a small piece of rubber.

Neal could see Liam’s eyes light up as they arrived in Manhattan; unlike his dad, he was a first generation suburbanite and only came downtown on special occasions. The vibe and rhythm of the city was totally different from the more laid-back life they had in White Plains and he could see Liam enjoying the change of pace. Neal and Sara had found it difficult to adapt to the slower tempo when they’d moved there almost twenty years ago but Neal had no regrets. These days, he enjoyed heading out every morning to the large expanse which was Manhattan and to be able return to the peace and tranquility of White Plains every night; it was the perfect balance.

They arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital and Neal parked the car, Liam eager to jump out and go see his Grandma June.

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa’ Neal said as he placed a hand on his arm ‘Just a minute, I need to tell you something first.’

Liam pulled the car door closed and turned to face his dad.

‘Grandma June... well, she’s not how she was a few weeks ago’ Neal began.

‘What do you mean?’ 

‘Well, she had a stroke and sometimes when she talks – if she talks – things are not... as clear as they were before’ Neal said, waiting for the information to sink into his young son’s psyche.

‘Okay’ said Liam.

‘And yesterday, like I told you, she had a heart attack and they’ve given her some really strong medication so she might just sleep the whole time we’re there’ Neal added.

Liam nodded indicating he understood.

‘So, don’t be surprised if she’s... confused or upset. She’s not always sure who we are but I know she can feel our presence so just sit with her, talk to her, just keep things low key’ Neal concluded.

‘Sure Dad. I just want to see her, it might be the last time...’ the young man said, wise beyond his years.

It was Neal’s turn to nod and he let go of his son’s arm, indicating he’d finished saying what he’d wanted to say and they both stepped out of the car and into the sun.

WCWCWC

Although she’d been looking forward to this conference for weeks now, Sara Ellis had not been enjoying it one little bit. She just wanted to get their presentation over and done with so she could get back on the plane to her family - and the sooner, the better. She and Lydia had been scheduled to fly home on Saturday morning after the conference had officially ended with that big banquet on Friday night, but at the moment, she was sitting at her laptop, in her beautiful hotel room, checking out flights for late Wednesday night or first thing Thursday morning. She didn’t want to miss out on spending time with her sister who had kindly invited Sara and her colleague to dinner on Wednesday night, but Sara didn’t mind a red eye flight out if she could get it. With any luck, she could be sleeping in her warm bed snuggled up against Neal by the early hours of Thursday morning and visiting June Ellington in hospital a few hours later.

There was a soft knock on the door and Sara got up to answer.

‘Hey’ said Lydia, standing there. ‘They’re starting in a few minutes. Are you coming?’

‘Yeah, yeah’ said Sara, obviously distracted.

‘Is there anything wrong?’ 

Sara headed over to her laptop, collecting her things, putting everything away in the beautiful leather briefcase Neal had given her for her last birthday.

‘It’s just things at home, you know’ she said, letting herself fall on the edge of the bed ‘There’s a lot happening and I feel like I should be there but...’

Lydia made her way over, taking a spot next to Sara and gently patting her hand.

‘I know what you mean; you kinda wish you could be in two places at once, huh?’ 

Sara nodded. ‘June might not hang on until I get back and Liam’s been sick... and then, there’s this whole thing with Neal and Hope although that seems to have been resolved. I just feel like I’m missing out on so much not being there for them... well, for Neal’ Sara said, her voice reflective.

She looked at Lydia, who was a new mom herself ‘How are you coping with being away from Bea?’

Lydia laughed softly. ‘Well, first off, Bea isn’t sick, she’s safe with her daddy so... for me this is like a holiday, to be living in the lap of luxury, not having to be up at five, no diapers to change... It’s a welcome break.’

Sara looked at her friend and smiled; she could certainly relate. She remembered those crazy years, when the kids were little and needed her and Neal for every little thing – even going to the office was a break back then! But now, things were different; she felt lost without Neal and the kids, completely rudderless, and she wondered in passing when that transformation had happened. When had her own personal happiness become so intimately connected to the happiness and well-being of those she loved?

WCWCWC

‘Hi Cindy!’ Neal murmured as he and Liam tiptoed into the quiet private room.

The palliative care unit was made up of a dozen or so well-appointed rooms that mimicked a bedroom in your own home – warm, cozy and welcoming. If it hadn’t been for the medical equipment strewn throughout the room, one might think they were in a fancy hotel room at the Four Seasons Hotel.

‘Neal’ Cindy said as she stood to hug him. Cindy was still as gorgeous as ever although, as a woman in her early forties, she had gained in maturity and poise. Her fifteen year old daughter sat nearby, her mind and eyes on her iPad and she glanced over at Neal and Liam, giving them a small smile.

‘Hey Janelle’ Neal called out. ‘So, how is she today?’ he said, turning back to look at Cindy.

‘She’s been sleeping mostly, although she did open her eyes a couple of times and she seemed to recognize me but it’s... it’s so hard to tell...’ Cindy said as she looked over at her loving grandmother.

‘Well, she’s looks peaceful... and she doesn't seem to be in any pain. So I guess we can be thankful for that’ Neal said as he touched her arm.

She nodded and he could see tears pooling in her eyes.

‘It’s just that... I hate to leave because every time I go, I wonder if... this is it. If it’s the last time I’m going to get to see her’ Cindy admitted sadly.

Neal nodded in understanding. He felt the same way. Every time his turn came up on the rotation, he was happy she was still with them, that he could still get to spend a few precious moments in her presence – even if it was only to watch her sleep. He watched as Cindy walked over to June and brought her mouth to her ear, whispering something softly then placing a kiss on her forehead.

‘Honey, say goodbye to your great-grandma June’ she told her daughter who stood and placed a gentle kiss on June’s cheek.

He wondered if he’d imagined it, but Neal thought he saw a soft smile on June’s lips as the child pulled away. Cindy and her daughter said their goodbyes and retreated, leaving the afternoon crew to take over until Lorna’s arrival which was planned for 6:00. Marion was scheduled to arrive from Nice sometime over the next twenty-four hours and her sister was looking forward to seeing her so both of them could spend some precious time together with their beloved mom.

Neal moved over to the bed, pulling a couple of chairs closer for him and Liam to sit on. He had taken to reading the reviews from the latest Broadway and off-Broadway plays to June as she lay there, even though he was unsure if she could hear him. He opened the New York Times to the Arts section and began to read the reviews of opening night for the latest play that had the world buzzing – some musical remake of Beauty and the Beast. He read every word with emphasis, giving her time to fully grasp what he was saying – if indeed, she was actually hearing him and every once in a while he would stop and glance over at Liam who continued gazing at June, watching her carefully for any sign that she could hear what Neal was saying. 

After about an hour, Neal excused himself to use the facilities and upon returning he found Liam, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his grandma’s hand and speaking softly. He hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment and he heard June’s soft and faint voice as she said something to the young man. Liam placed a small object in her hand and placed his hand over top just holding it in place for a moment. 

Neal cleared his throat, making his presence known and Liam looked up, smiling.

‘She opened her eyes’ Liam whispered. ‘... and she said my name.’

Neal made his way over and put a hand on his son’s shoulder as he looked down at June who had returned to her peaceful slumber. He glanced down at her hands, noting the small object that Liam had placed there and he fought back a tear as he settled in next to his son.

And with that, the Caffrey men resumed their vigil, with only each other as company.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

_June hadn’t felt this light and nimble on her feet in years. The dress she wore was made of sheer chiffon, the colour of the deep blue sea and it flowed elegantly around her as she continued to move with ease on the dance floor. She had somehow shed her aging body, her sore bones, her aching muscles and her feet carried her effortlessly as she floated, Byron twirling her around with grace. Old age creeps up on you and June couldn’t remember when, exactly, it had become so difficult to move her body with ease and poise but now, safely nestled in her husband’s loving arms, she had somehow returned to a time where she could move with grace and self-assurance._

_‘Ah, June-bug, you’re just as limber as you always were’ Byron whispered in her ear as he pulled her in close._

_June gazed into his eyes; it had been so very long since she’d been with him and she just wanted to keep staring into those dark pools; she’d always loved how the corners of his eyes crinkled whenever he smiled._

_‘Marion’s coming and you need to go back. They all need closure, sweetheart’ he explained softly._

_‘But I don’t want to go back’ she replied, smiling, as she kept swaying to the rhythm of the music ._

_‘So many people have loved you and you need to give them all a chance to say goodbye’ he repeated as she gave him a small pouty smile._

_‘But I’ll be right here when you come back. And we can dance... well, for as long as you want’ he added._

The monitors around them droned on monotonously as Neal and Liam continued to sit by June’s side, the sound almost hypnotic - and Neal could feel himself starting to drift off to its repetitive hum.

The door opened and a nurse walked in, discreetly making her way to where the monitors beeped, rhythmically.

‘Her pulse is really slow’ she observed as she glanced at the monitor.

Neal sat up, a look of concern on his face.

‘It’s all right’ the nurse reassured him. ‘It’s been fluctuating since she arrived; it could be the meds.’ 

Neal smiled at her. The gentleness and respect with which the woman leaned over to touch June’s forehead was more than reassuring. All he’d ever wanted was for June to be on the receiving end of the gentleness and kindness she’d displayed to others her whole life. The touch seemed to bring June back and the monitor began to beat at a faster pace as June opened up her eyes momentarily, noticing Neal sitting there.

‘Neal...’ she whispered, her eyes clear.

He stood in a flash, getting a little closer and sitting on the edge of the bed to better hear her soft raspy voice.

‘June....’ he said lovingly.

‘I am so proud of you’ she whispered as he took her hand.

That sounded a little too much like goodbye and Neal could feel his eyes start to water as he continued to gaze at her.

‘June – you’ve been my saving grace. I couldn’t have accomplished any of the things I’ve done if it hadn’t been for you’ he said, trying to control the wavering of his voice.

‘Nonsense, darling. The good in you... it was always there, deep inside. I just helped you see who you really are’ she continued, her voice breathless.

She had barely finished speaking when her eyes closed just as suddenly as they’d opened and Neal was left there to hold her hand and resume listening to the reassuring beep of the nearby monitor.

WCWCWC

Hope looked down at the detailed instructions her dad had left regarding dinner and she turned to Cam, standing at the kitchen island cutting up some veggies for a salad.

‘Do you think I should set the table in the dining room?’ she asked him.

‘I don’t think so’ he answered. ‘If Bea gets restless, she can play in the family room and we can keep an eye on her.’

It was Tuesday night and despite all that was happening around them, Neal hadn’t wanted to cancel on Sam’s visit with little Beatrice. Ever since she’d arrived in their lives, the baby had brought nothing but joy and laughter and Neal, especially, was enjoying his role as godfather to the little girl. Sam and Lydia had been generous in sharing their daughter and Sara and Neal had had her over to their place as often as they could, doting on her and basically spoiling the life out of her. She was a beautiful child, sandy blond hair and blue eyes; she had that carefree quality that all kids have, still unscathed by life’s disappointments and hardships and whenever she was around, Neal would forget all about all those small (and even the bigger) worries of everyday life.

Cam came up behind his girlfriend, lacing his arms around her waist as Hope giggled.Cameron Armstrong had become a very loving boyfriend, affectionate and warm and their relationship had blossomed over the year they’d been together. Quite unexpectedly, it had grown into something serious and committed. Hope would be going away to college over the next year and she’d begun to wonder how her relationship with Cam would play out once she left for Pittsburgh. She turned to face him, looking into his eyes; so thankful to have this amazing guy in her life.

‘You need to get back to that salad, mister’ she said, rather unconvincingly as he placed a warm kiss on her lips.

‘Uh huh’ he murmured, totally ignoring her and making her laugh.

WCWCWC

‘I’m really glad I came’ Liam said as he sat with his dad in the car.

‘Me too buddy. I know it meant a lot to Grandma June to have you there’ Neal said.

After a few seconds of silence, he added. ‘You know, I saw what you put in her hand.’

‘It’s stupid, I know…’ Liam answered, seemingly uncomfortable.

‘It’s _not_ stupid – I know how much that pebble means to you... and what it represents for you’ Neal said with a warm smile.

Liam shrugged, slightly embarrassed. For years, he’d been carrying around this beautiful, smooth stone he’d found on the beach of Lake Muskoka when he was barely three years old. At first, it had held the mystique of just another pretty thing you collected when you were little, that age where you want to hoard things of seeming insignificance. But he had held on to it over time and it had since become his good luck charm – he always had it in his pocket on test days and on game days, he would tuck the flat smooth stone inside his gym sock for good fortune. It had never let him down and he wanted to share the good vibes he’d always gotten from the inanimate object with his grandma. 

‘I just thought it might bring her luck; not that she’ll get better but you know... so she could die peacefully’ he said, sounding wise beyond his years.

Neal just nodded in amazement – his kids surprised him every time.

WCWCWC

Neal finished tidying up the kitchen as his mind wandered to the events of the evening.Sam’s visit had done him a world of good; helping him forget for just a few moments that his beloved June was on the cusp of leaving them. Beatrice’s presence never failed to cheer him up; it let him focus his attention on all that was good with the world - joy, laughter and wonder at all that life could offer. He’d played with her after dinner, handing her the large puzzle pieces as she’d placed them one by one, chattering away, repeating everything he said – or trying to at least. She was a veritable chatter box and she spoke non-stop – although deciphering what she was trying to say was not always an easy task.

‘Neeeeeal’ she’d squealed as he’d lay on his back, tossing her in the air and watching her giggle fiercely as she let herself fall back into his waiting arms. She’d grinned at him, a look of total trust and abandon in her eyes and he’d marvelled once again at the blissful innocence he saw there. If only one could bottle those giggles, they would make a fortune, he thought, as he laughed uncontrollably himself. 

Now the house had grown quiet and once again his thoughts wandered to his wife, miles away, waiting for him to call. He knew she’d want to hear all the news from home – thegood and the not so good. He grabbed the phone and let himself fall on the couch in the family room, kicking off his shoes and putting his feet up on the couch as he dialled.

WCWCWC

‘Well, I don’t think we can do much else to prepare. We’re ready’ Sara said as she began to tidy up the mess of papers on the bed.

‘It’s going to be great!’ said Lydia, excitement obvious in her voice.

The rookie hadn’t had much of an opportunity to attend such large-scale conferences in the past, unlike her mentor. Being part of the twosome that was being featured at the luncheon was exciting and invigorating for an up and comer like Lydia Jordan. 

‘Sara...’ she began, tentatively. ‘I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I’ve learned so much just watching you work. But for you to take me under your wing like you’ve done in this mentoring program... well, it’s more than I could possibly hope for.’

‘You’re a class act, Lydia’ Sara responded. ‘It’s an honour for me to get to work closely with you.’

The women smiled at each other in mutual admiration and Lydia rose to leave, just as Sara’s phone rang nearby.

‘Well, that sounds like your nightly phone call from home’ she said, as she left. ‘Sleep well, big day tomorrow.’

Sara turned to grab her phone and made room on the bed so she could get comfortable.This was the highlight of her day – hearing Neal’s voice from across the miles.

‘Hey Repo. How was today?’ he asked when she answered.

‘Tedious ... and long’ she replied with a tired grin at the term of endearment that was reserved just for her.

‘So, big presentation tomorrow, huh?’

‘Yeah, Lydia and I just went over everything one last time. I think we’re ready’ said Sara, sounding so far away.

‘You know, Peter and I did something like that at a best practices symposium once. People are just going to want to ask some questions about what makes the mentoring program work. Considering you’re the one who put it together... you’ll be a hit’ he said, ever the encouraging husband.

Sara laughed – even miles away Neal was still her one-man cheering section.

‘How was June today?’ Sara asked, her voice growing serious.

‘Liam came to see her with me; I was really glad. Honey, I don’t think she has much time left’ Neal answered, his voice soft and faraway.

Sara let out a sigh. ‘I hope I get there before it’s too late.’

‘June knows how you feel about her; try not worry about it’ Neal said in an effort to reassure her.

‘Is Liam going back to school tomorrow?’

‘He's better!’ Neal chuckled. ‘He’s becoming a real nuisance around here. It’s time we all get back to normal.’

‘Did you end up canceling on Sam tonight?’

‘No, I thought we could all use some normalcy around here. Do you know what little Bea said tonight?’ he said, his voice suddenly joyful.

‘I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.’

‘She pointed to her bowl of spaghetti and she looked up at me, waiting for me to tell her what it was called and then she tried to repeat it’ he laughed warmly. ‘It came out something like ‘psidetty’.’

‘That’s adorable’ Sara said with a chuckle. ‘I wish I could have been there.’

‘Well, she was _looking_ for you when she walked in; she kept toddling around looking lost like something was missing.’

At this, Sara erupted with laughter; she loved her goddaughter and just the thought of her little footsteps echoing through the house filled her with joy. She thought about everything back home and suddenly grew sentimental.

‘Neal, I’m trying to get a flight out really late tomorrow night’ she confessed.

‘Honey, that’s ridiculous. Relax, just have a nice visit with Emily and a good night’s sleep and you can fly out on Thursday morning if you really want to. A couple of hours aren’t going to make any difference’ Neal reasoned.

‘I’ll see. I just want to get home. I miss you...’

‘Now, who’s the romantic?’ he teased.

‘I don’t know... I guess it’s this thing with June. I... I realize that we never know how much time we have, none of us do, and I just don’t want to spend any time away from the people I love’ she answered, an unusually maudlin declaration - especially for someone as no-nonsense as Sara Ellis.

‘Hey, stop it! I’ll be here when you get back. I’m not going _anywhere_ ’ Neal replied.

As he spoke those words, he couldn’t possibly imagine what lay ahead.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Neal rose bright and early on Wednesday morning, feeling refreshed and looking forward to his day at the gallery. He wasn’t scheduled to visit June but he thought he might pay her a visit later on in the day anyway. Marion was arriving from Nice and would likely be spending time with her mom and Samantha, one of June’s granddaughter’s had pulled the early morning shift by her grandma’s bedside. 

It would be nice to spend time at the gallery for a change; they were getting some new stuff in from a local artist whose work Neal had recently discovered and he was looking forward to setting up the display front and centre in the main room of the gallery. It would be nice to see Peter as well; he hadn’t spent much time with his best friend in the last little while and he looked forward to hanging out with him for the day.

He got the kids organized for school – well Liam, mostly, who was returning after having been off sick since the week before. Neal reminded him to check his blood sugar levels and gave him one last speech about the importance of eating what he’d packed for him, finally sending him on his way with a reminder to call if he wasn’t feeling well.

‘Dad, I was thinking I’d pop by the gallery after school’ said Hope as she grabbed some fruit to put into her lunch bag.

‘Sure, I’ll be there until closing time.’

‘I want to finish writing up my comments before Saturday’s class’ she added, sounding very much like the serious art teacher she was becoming. ‘There’s one piece I’d really like your opinion on.’

‘Amanda’s?’ Neal asked.

‘Yeah, how did you know?’ 

‘You’ve only been raving about her since the moment she stepped into your class.’ 

‘Well, she’s... she’s got something really special going on and... I really don’t want to steer her in the wrong direction.’

Neal gave her a hug. ‘I doubt you could steer her in the wrong direction, sweet pea. You’ve got amazing instincts – but if you want my opinion....’ 

They went their separate ways and within forty-five minutes, Neal was arriving at the gallery surprised to find the open sign already in the window and the door to the store unlocked. It was only 9:45, fifteen minutes to opening, but Peter was already toiling away at the small desk in the corner, papers strewn all around him.

‘Hey!’ Neal called out as he walked over to deposit a fresh cup of coffee in front of his partner. ‘You’re early this morning!’

Truth be told, Peter was an early riser and he liked to get a jump start on his day. The gallery usually got busy by noon and it was often distracting to do paperwork with the constant comings and goings. 

‘Been here since 8:00’ Peter said, taking a sip of coffee.

Neal made his way over to the counter where he usually set himself up and began poking around at the variety of ‘stuff’ on the shelves underneath.

‘So, what’s been going on? I feel like I’ve been away for ages.’

‘With good reason, Neal’ Peter said as he stood to join his partner. ‘So, how is she?’ 

Neal let out a lung full of air before replying. ‘Not great, she’s really gone downhill in the last couple of days. Having her in the palliative care unit, well, it’s a constant reminder that she doesn’t have much time left.’

Peter put a comforting hand on Neal’s shoulder as he spoke. ‘She’s had a good full life.’

‘You’re right but it doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier’ Neal said wistfully.

Peter nodded in agreement; when you loved someone, it was never easy to let them go, no matter their age.

‘On Monday...’ Neal began, remembering the horror of watching June seemingly slip away ‘... I thought we were going to lose her. She had a heart attack in the ambulance right in front of me and I just sat there feeling so helpless.’

‘Grief is tough’ Peter agreed. ‘I remember when my mom passed away two years ago. You think you’re a grown man with a life of your own but losing your mom at any age is so... it’s hard.’ 

Neal was thankful for Peter’s sensitivity. Sure, on paper, June Ellington had never been more than a good friend but for Neal she was the closest thing he’d ever had to a mother, someone who was always there and who believed in him, no matter what foolish scheme he was involved in. June had watched Neal make one mistake after another in those early years, watching him fall and get back up again and yet she’d never once commented, not unless Neal asked for her advice – which he’d done more and more frequently as time passed. The love she’d shown him was unconditional, a mother’s love, and Neal was eternally grateful that she’d seen a glimmer of something positive in his eyes that day they’d met, eons ago. He wasn’t quite sure how he would have carried on without her; and now, she was leaving to join her beloved husband and although he was sad, Neal was strangely comforted to think that Byron was waiting for his wife on the other side. 

‘It’s just a reminder that we’re all headed that way, you know’ he said, quietly. ‘You’re 66, I’m already 54... jeez, where have all the years gone, Peter?’

‘But it’s a good life, Neal. We’ve both been so lucky; we’ve got El and Sara and you’ve got the kids’ Peter reminded him. 

‘Yeah, we do, don’t we?’ Neal said, coming out of his funk. ‘So tell me, what have the sales been like?’

WCWCWC

The large conference room buzzed as everyone took place for the Wednesday luncheon at the Langham Hotel in Chicago. The conference participants were over 500 strong and they’d spent all week together sharing best practices in the insurance recovery business with many of the country’s large firms represented and jostling for position as perceived leaders in their very specialized field.

Recovery was a very complex business and insurance investigators were a very unique breed: a combination of law abiding, trustworthy individuals with just a touch of scoundrel thrown in to get the job done, even if it meant working in grey areas some of the time. It was not an easily mastered profession and a seasoned pro like Sara could usually tell within a very short period of time if someone had what it took to excel at the job. Over time, she’d begun to take note of the many characteristics that made up a superior insurance investigator and she had developed a tool to help her assess the potential in her newly hired staff. Once she got her hands on a potential star, she would endeavour to work closely with the individual and provide guidance and support in a more intensive way, mentoring them until she brought them to the peak of excellence.

Her bosses had seen the positive results as these ‘super-investigators’ delivered the goods on a consistent basis and they’d given Sara some time off to consolidate her many thoughts on the subject and come up with a proper mentoring program – something which could be shared with others in the field. 

Sara looked around the room at the many faces she’d seen over the years; she sat on the podium with Lydia by her side as the room began to hush with the arrival of the moderator who stood at the microphone, waiting for silence.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you’ll enjoy the wonderful lunch with was prepared for us by the capable staff of the hotel. To keep you company while you enjoy your meal, we’ve invited Ms Sara Ellis from Sterling Bosch Insurance to enlighten us about her mentoring program which has proven to be a big success. Ms Ellis will outline the program for us and then, she and Lydia Jordan, who has been mentored by Ms Ellis for the past two years, will take questions on the program. So, as you dig into that lovely looking lobster bisque, let me introduce to you Ms Sara Ellis.’ 

The crowd applauded enthusiastically as Sara made her way to the podium, looking very confident in a gorgeous off-white tailored suit and her signature four inch heels. She was in her element and she smiled confidently as she began to speak.

WCWCWC

‘Hope!’ Peter called out with glee as the little bell over the door jingled.

He and and his goddaughter were close, always had been, and even though she was a young woman now and not some little girl who needed her Uncle Peter’s help in tying her shoelaces, they still remained kindred spirits, sharing the ups and downs of life. Hope still confided in her godfather although now the topics revolved around her choice of university, her relationship with Cam, her doubts about the future and any issues she might be having with her mom and dad. Peter loved playing the role of confidant, watching as his little girl blossomed and became an enlightened and fulfilled young woman. He was proud of the woman she was becoming, due in large part to Sara and Neal’s guidance and support as well as their unwavering love. He recalled a time when Neal was struggling himself, wondering if he would ever rise to the challenge of being a good dad and a loving husband; he had more than exceeded Peter’s expectations.

‘Hi Uncle Peter’ she responded as she walked over to give him a hug. ‘Where’s Dad? I thought he was going to be here all day.’

‘He is – he just went next door to get us some coffee’ Peter replied. 

Hope put down her school bag and made her way to the back room where classes were held and all the new art was stored waiting to be displayed.

‘What’s all this?’ she called out as Peter made his way to the doorway separating the two rooms.

‘That’s stuff your dad commissioned from a new artist he saw – I think her name is Annie... something or other... anyway she’s good’ he said as Hope began to open one of the crates and pull out a painting.

‘Oh, I like it!’ she exclaimed, peeking inside.

‘Your dad thought it would be a welcome addition; we’ve had a lot of abstract styles lately’ Peter commented. 

Neal’s role as creative head of the gallery gave him total control over all the artistic aspects of the business and Peter respected that. Neal had a good eye for new artists; he spent a lot of his time going to private exhibits, trying to unearth up-and-comers who had yet to have an opportunity to properly show off their talent. Two years in, the Raphael had developed a reputation as a gallery which took a chance on newcomers and Neal had a loyal customer base which was constantly looking for new and exciting things. 

The door opened and Peter turned to see the man himself, standing in the doorway with a big grin on his face. 

WCWCWC

Neal thanked the latest patron for his purchase and followed him to the door, holding it open for him; another satisfied customer. He checked the time; it was just past five o’clock and except for a quick call from Lorna at lunchtime, telling him nothing much had changed and informing him that Marion had finally arrived, he hadn’t heard anything about June all day. 

He glanced at his phone, noticing a message – how had he missed that, he wondered, as he jumped on his cell phone accessing the stored message.

‘Neal, it’s Lorna again. Mom’s fading fast; if you want to see her one last time, I think you should get here as soon as you can’ he heard in horror.

He busied himself collecting his things and called out to Hope in the other room. ‘Honey, I’ve got to get to the hospital.’

‘What’s going on?’ she asked, poking her head out of the backroom.

She could see the colour draining from her dad’s face.

‘It’s Grandma June...’ he said, stuttering.

‘I’m coming with you’ she said, grabbing her purse and following him out of the door.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Pete Milville sat in front of his rib-eye steak, knife in hand as he dug in heartily. He felt like a hockey player before the big game, beefing up on protein to get him through the next few hours – although in his case, the big exploit was a slash and run at the Raphael Gallery over on West 27th. Johnny stood nearby going over the equipment needed for their little excursion – some small, sharp knives and a couple of sledge hammers thrown in for good measure. He’d only been out of the big house for a little more than twenty-four hours but until he got this out of his system, Pete felt like he couldn’t go on with his life. He needed to get revenge against those who had thwarted his efforts at Sterling Bosch, only then could he carry on with all the wonderful, illicit plans he’d hatched while he was rotting in the slammer. 

He felt the reassuring presence of the gun tucked into the back of his waist – it never hurt to have some insurance along in case of trouble.

WCWCWC

Hope had barely slowed down long enough to lock the door of the gallery when she noticed that Neal had already made it to the car and was parked in front waiting for her. Mt. Sinai was normally a ten minute drive from the Chelsea Art District but it was five o’clock, prime rush hour and Neal cringed as he looked up ahead at the midweek traffic on 11th Avenue. The message from Lorna had come in over an hour before – probably when Neal had been up on the second floor with Mr. Jennings, one of their regular customers, who’d been hemming and hawing about which one of Hope’s paintings he was going to take home with him. Neal had never thought to check his phone when he’d come back down and now he was bitterly regretting his oversight.

Hope sat by his side in silence, aware that there was absolutely nothing she could say to make this inevitable moment any easier. At the very least, she hoped her dad would get there in time to spend a few precious moments with his surrogate mom before she left this earth. Despite the traffic and Neal’s shaking hands, they made it to the hospital in twenty-two minutes and he pulled onto George Street, headed for the nearby parking lot.

‘Dad, pull up to the front and I’ll go park the car’ Hope offered, the first words she’d uttered since they’d left the gallery.

Neal gave her a small appreciative smile and did as he was told, pulling up to the main entrance of the hospital and jumping out of the car even before it had completely stilled. Hope watched as he ran to the door - her dad could still move like an agile, stealthy cat when he decided to run; she just hoped he wasn’t too late.

WCWCWC

Sara Ellis and Lydia Jordan stood in front of the hotel in downtown Chicago waiting for their ride. The presentation had gone off without a hitch and, afterwards, Sara had been approached by several executives from the larger insurance companies asking for details – two of them had even asked if Sara would agree to come to them and present her mentoring model to their staff. All in all, her presentation had been a success and now that it was finally behind her, Sara’s thoughts were on getting back home as soon as possible. She had booked a flight for noon the next day – a direct flight to JFK which would arrive just before 3:00 New York time and she couldn’t wait to get home.

Her musings were interrupted by a honking car and Sara looked up to see Emily Ellis-Foster caught in traffic and waving frantically a few cars back from where they stood.

‘There she is’ Sara said to Lydia as the women made their way over to join her sister.

WCWCWC

Neal flew past the nurses’ station straight in the direction of June’s hospital room. He spotted Lorna chatting quietly with her daughters Samantha and Junie, just outside the door to the room. He didn’t know Junie very well, having only met her on a couple of occasions, but he smiled at her, noticing a young girl of no more than five or six hanging on tightly to her mom’s waist, looking very timidly at him.

‘Neal! You made it!’ Lorna said as she walked over to greet him.

‘Am I ...’ Neal began, breathless, unable to finish the sentence.

‘No, you’re not too late. She’s been hanging on... I think she wants to make sure that everyone gets a chance to say goodbye’ Lorna said as she hugged him. 

Neal took a deep breath and looked over at the sad faces of Samantha and Junie as Lorna laced her arm in his and led him into the inner sanctum. Despite the eerie silence in the room, the place was packed and Neal looked around at all the familiar faces as he stepped in. Marion sat by the bed, holding her mother’s hand as her husband Mort stood behind her, hand lovingly placed on her shoulder. Cindy stood nearby with her arms around her two kids as did her older sister, Maisie and her husband. Neal also recognized Samantha’s two teenagers huddled in a corner of the room, silent. 

At times, Neal felt like an intruder in the Ellington family – at first glance, he certainly didn’t look like he belonged – but of all of June’s kids, he’d been the one most present in her life in recent years. The fact that he lived nearby afforded him the unique opportunity to spend lots of quality time with her and he was forever grateful for that chance. June had been there for all of the important milestones in his life: his wedding to Sara, the birth of his two children, the opening of his beloved gallery – she’d cheered him on every step of the way and she’d stood by him whenever things got rough.

‘Hi Neal’ said Marion as she stood to hug him. ‘She opened her eyes and asked for you a little while ago.’

Her words tore through Neal’s shattered heart; June had asked for him and he hadn’t been there. What if she passed away without knowing he was there, by her side? 

Marion stood to give up her spot to Neal.

‘We’ve all had a chance to say goodbye. It’s your turn’ she murmured.

Suddenly, Neal was filled with pain and anguish; he hadn’t much thought of what June’s last moments might be like, he hadn’t wanted to dwell on that... but now that the end was near, he felt at a loss for words and his heart ached as he took in the sight of June looking so small and fragile on the bed. What could he possibly say that would convey all that she’d meant to him – and would she even hear him if and when he finally found the right words.

He heard a small commotion as Hope entered the room and Cindy took her by the shoulders and brought her over to where Neal sat, his hand clasped gently around June’s unresponsive fingers. Hope looked around, feeling ill at ease, yet wanting desperately to give her dad some measure of comfort as he said goodbye to this wonderful woman who’d meant so much to him. She took a deep breath and thought of her own mom. How would Sara handle the situation if she were here? She sidled up next to her dad and placed a reassuring hand on Neal’s shoulder, immediately feeling him relax at her touch – it was all she could do and yet in that moment, it was enough.

‘June’ Neal whispered. ‘I’m here, with Hope.’

June continued breathing, ever so slowly as the monitor droned on at a sluggish pace almost as if each beep was going to be the last. At the sound of Neal’s voice, her hand moved in his and Neal took that as a sign that she could hear him. 

‘Everybody’s here, June’ he continued his voice barely a whisper. ‘We love you and we want you to know that you don’t need to worry about anybody else. You can let everything go; Byron is waiting for you.’

He heard a small choked sob coming from behind him as his words echoed softly in the room. June’s eyes fluttered for a moment then opened and Neal couldn’t tell if she was looking at him or through him – but it didn’t matter. He was just thankful to be able to look into those beautiful eyes one last time; he could see all the love and warmth there just as he’d seen twenty-five years earlier when their eyes had met for the very first time.

Neal smiled back, his eyes filled with tears.

June’s eyes closed almost immediately and Neal felt her hand go limp in his once again as the monitor slowed to an even more weary pace and he could hear some muttering behind him as someone said a prayer. He sat there, motionless, watching and waiting, feeling so privileged to be there in the presence of this amazing woman who’d meant so much to so many.

Within a few minutes, everyone had gathered around him and he could feel several hands on his shoulder now as everyone waited for the inevitable, for that last beep... that last breath.

WCWCWC

‘Anyway, she just looked up at me guiltily when I walked in, holding the crayon in her hand and smiling as if somebody else had made the mess on the wall’ said Lydia as she recounted little Beatrice’s latest exploit.

Sara and Emily laughed as they recalled what it was like to have a toddler in their midst. Emily had been a school teacher and knew all too well what young kids were capable of and Sara... well, Sara was a mom and she’d walked in on a few similar situations when her kids had been little.

She was beginning to relax and she took another sip of the excellent wine Emily had served with dinner. She’d last heard from Neal mid-afternoon when he’d reported that there was nothing new as far as June was concerned. Sara was still hopeful she would have a chance to see June one last time when she finally made it home. Maybe she could head over directly to the hospital once Neal picked her up at the airport the next day.

She heard her dining companions break out in laughter once more and she turned her attention back to the conversation at hand, turning off her overactive mind.

WCWCWC

June looked down at the beautiful dress lying on the bed. She leaned in, picking it up and making quick work of changing into it as she glanced at her reflection in the nearby mirror. She could hear the sweet sound of Frank Sinatra singing in the next room and she excitedly opened the door just in time to see Byron turning towards her, his eyes alight and full of love, his arms outstretched and welcoming.

WCWCWC

June looked even more peaceful and serene once they’d removed the breathing tube and the leads to the various monitors she’d been hooked up to. The room was quieter without the constant hum of the medical equipment and family members moved in and out, one by one, to be in her presence one last time. The nurse had reassured them that there was no need to hurry – they could take all the time they needed to say goodbye. Although June’s spirit had left her body, she still looked the same as if she were sleeping peacefully, without a care in the world.

Hope took her turn, leaning in to place a warm kiss on her grandma’s cool forehead as Neal looked on, grief apparent on his face. 

He gave his daughter a reassuring squeeze as he took his turn, a wayward tear falling on June face as he leaned in to say goodbye; the tear he’d shed lay on her cheek almost as if she’d been the one to cry it and Neal wiped it away lovingly before turning away to leave. 

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

It was getting close to nine o’clock and Neal and Hope were still sitting in the hospital waiting room surrounded by the rest of the Ellington clan. For some reason, no one seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Neal turned to his daughter, his face suddenly panicked as he spoke.

‘Oh, my God! Liam!’ he said as he reached for his phone.

‘It’s okay, Dad. Uncle Mozzie’s with him. I called him as soon as we got here’ said Hope, her voice reassuring.

Neal gave her a small smile – leave it to Hope to take care of things just like her mom would have done if she’d been there. Liam wasn’t a baby anymore but he’d just been sick and Neal didn’t want him sitting alone at home, wondering where his dad and sister were.

Everything had happened in quick succession as they’d all waited for the doctor to arrive and attest to June’s passing. Lorna and Marion had asked him to sit with them and discuss the funeral arrangements, a conversation Neal was somewhat surprised yet grateful to be involved in. Strictly speaking, he had no legal status in the Ellington family but Lorna and Marion had always been respectful of the important place he’d had in June’s life – and in her heart. They wanted Neal involved in the planning of the ceremony and both women concurred that they would be most appreciative if Neal agreed to give the eulogy, something that had honoured and terrified him in equal measures. 

There were still many relatives to contact – Byron had one living sister and of course, there were numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and nephews to say nothing of the more distant relatives such as cousins of June’s and Byron’s. The trio agreed to wait a week for the ceremony in order to give everybody a chance to come to New York, where they all felt the service should be held. After all, despite her many travels, this was June’s home, where she’d lived her whole adult life. They wanted things done right and that meant careful planning - and careful planning took time. 

Neal’s mind wandered back to Sara as it had several times over the past few hours. He dreaded having to give her the news; he knew she would feel guilty about not coming home sooner and he realized he had put off calling her long enough. 

‘Honey, I’m going to go call Mom’ he said as he stood to find a quiet corner to place the call to Chicago.

Hope nodded as she let go of his arm which she’d inadvertently been clutching for the past half hour. She watched as he pulled away, trying to remain strong and brave when he was obviously so sad and heartbroken. In her child’s eyes, her dad was a tough, strapping man who could fix just about anything. He could right any wrong, kiss away any hurt, fix any problem but this – losing someone he loved – could never be fixed and she knew that her dad would live with that little bit of sadness tucked away in his heart for as long as he lived.

WCWCWC

The phone rang as the women sat having coffee, the Ellis sisters reminiscing about their long-ago trip to London and reliving some long forgotten yet happy memories. Sara reached into her purse, surprised to hear it ring; she and Neal had agreed that she would call him once she got back to her hotel room after dinner. If he was calling now, that wasn’t a good sign. She ducked into the nearby kitchen for privacy, answering as she went.

‘Neal?’ she said, not even bothering to say hello.

‘Hi sweetheart’ Neal answered, his voice serious.

‘Is it June?’ she asked without so much as taking a breath.

‘She died about two hours ago’ he answered sombrely, although his voice was calm and steady.

‘Oh, Neal! Honey, I’m so sorry’ said Sara as the emotion rose in her voice.

‘There’s nothing you could have done, babe. She went very peacefully and her family was around her.’ 

At the sound of those words, Sara felt herself start to quiver. Family? She was family and she should have been there by Neal’s side when it happened, saying goodbye to June and comforting her husband.

‘Sara, Sara, stop it. I can feel the guilt oozing over the phone line. She knew... she knew how much she meant to you’ he said, his voice reassuring.

‘Maybe I can try to get an overnight flight...’ Sara began before Neal interrupted.

‘Honey, that’s crazy. You’ll be here by 3:00 tomorrow; there’s nothing you can do before then anyway.’

‘I could hold you in my arms’ she answered, her voice still shaky.

Neal swallowed hard to keep from crying. ‘I’ll take a rain check on that, okay?’

‘Neal, I am so, so... so sorry’ she said.

‘I love you, honey. Try to get some sleep, okay. I’ll be there waiting for you when you step off that plane’ he said, trying to keep things light.

‘I’m counting on it’ she said in response.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans, as they both were about to find out.

WCWCWC

‘She’s dead, isn’t she?’ Liam asked as Mozzie hung up the phone.

His uncle Mozzie was a wild and crazy guy with a wicked sense of humour and the gift of the gab and it was a rare occasion when the man didn’t have a quick and witty retort to what he deemed was a stupid question. 

Not that this was a stupid question. Liam watched as Mozzie sat there looking very pale and staring off into space. He’d loved June for so many years; she was a kindred spirit and Mozzie’s mind flashed back to all the laughter and joy he’d shared with her since he’d first set foot in her home on Riverside Drive. Her death, although expected, was painfully difficult to accept; it was the end of an era that Mozzie wasn’t the least prepared to let go of.

After a few seconds, he stood and walked over to the kitchen where Liam had been preparing a late-night snack. He opened his arms and Liam stepped into his embrace. He let himself be held by his godfather as they both wept with Raffie whimpering at their feet.

WCWCWC

The men had decided to enter the gallery from the back door which led to the alley behind West 27th. That way, they could park their van away from prying eyes and move around more easily. The back door was surprisingly easy to force open and Pete held his breath waiting for the telltale sound of the alarm being activated. But the sound didn’t come and he made his way into the main room of the gallery and towards the front door in order to investigate. The solid green light of the alarm glowed in the dark room indicating that it had not been turned on and Pete snickered at the stupidity of the owners who hadn’t even bothered to protect their shop. As far as he was concerned, they deserved to have the place ransacked. 

He went back to let Johnny and Joe in and the three men got to work with Joe heading upstairs to the second floor to see if there was anything worth taking. The brothers wasted no time getting to work - breaking everything in sight and in the process, destroying everything Neal and Sara had worked so very hard for all those years.

WCWCWC

‘Who was it, honey?’ El asked as she came into the living room to find Peter staring into space.

‘It was Hope’ he answered, almost by rote.

Elizabeth looked at him, puzzled. It was almost ten o’clock on a weeknight, definitely an unusual time for their goddaughter to be calling.

‘June died’ he said quietly.

‘Oh, honey’ El said as she made her way over to sit next to her husband. She brought her arm to rest around his shoulder and squeezed. 

‘Neal must be a mess’ Peter said soberly.

‘Is Sara back from her trip yet?’

‘No, no, not yet’ Peter replied.

‘Oh, poor Neal. He must be so upset.’ El said, stating the obvious.

‘Yeah. I’ll give him a bit of space and I’ll check in on him tomorrow.’

WCWCWC

‘Not really’ Hope said into her phone. ‘There’s nothing you can do.’

Cameron had just offered to come over and be with her but Hope felt her dad needed her more than she needed Cam. Her place was with her father, staying close to him, at least until her mom came home.

‘I could be there in a flash if you need me’ Cam repeated.

He was such a great boyfriend, caring and always there whenever she needed anything.

‘No, really. I’m fine. I’m more worried about my dad; he’s trying to put on a brave face but.... anyway, my mom’s coming home tomorrow, that’ll help.’ 

‘All right, sweetie’ he said. ‘I’ll call you in the morning.’

‘Thanks Cam’ Hope said before signing off.

She could see Neal coming towards her, looking defeated as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looked old all of a sudden and Hope realized that someday, hopefully in the very distant future, she’d be grieving his passing and she immediately shook off the macabre thought as she forced herself to smile up at him.

‘Hey’ Neal said as he put his arm around his little girl. ‘There’s nothing more we can do around here tonight. What do you say we go home and see Liam?’

She nodded and put her arm around Neal’s waist, feeling him relax as she hugged him. They made their way out of hospital, into the cool spring night, their arms tightly wound around each other.

WCWCWC

Joe came thundering down the stairs of the Raphael Gallery carrying three paintings which he’d deemed good enough to fence. He found Johnny with the sledge hammer, destroying one of the paintings from the main showroom while Pete moved around the back, turning everything upside down while he decided what to steal and what to destroy. The place was beginning to look like a war zone, the walls damaged as the men slammed away at the artwork. 

‘Put that stuff in the van’ Pete ordered as Joe walked by him on his way to the back door.

‘Johnny, two more minutes’ he called out to his brother who was still busy creating a mess in the gallery’s main floor. 

Pete looked on with a devilish grin – he was definitely feeling better now that he’d exacted his revenge. 

On to bigger and better things, he thought.

WCWCWC

‘Oh, shit!’ Neal muttered rather uncharacteristically as he drove through the streets of Manhattan.

‘What is it Dad?’ asked Hope, startled.

‘Did you remember to set the alarm when we left the gallery?’

Hope gave herself a mental head slap. ’No! Sorry, Dad, I completely forgot!’ 

She should know better; she regularly closed up the shop with Cameron and usually carried out the routine task without giving it a second thought. She’d been upset to see her dad take off like a bat out of hell and she’d been eager to catch up with him for fear he would take off without her.

‘It’s okay sweet pea. It’s not your fault. I guess I was in such a hurry to leave...’ he said as he made a sudden left turn, heading back towards the art district ‘It’ll just take a minute; I’ll run in and set it and we can go home.’

Hope turned to look out at the bright lights of the city core and she closed her eyes for a brief moment; she was tired and her bed would be a welcome sight.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Sara made it back to her hotel room after a most exhausting day. Although it had been wonderful to see Emily and spend some quality time with her, the news of June’s passing had dropped a definite cloak of sadness on the proceedings and she’d been crying non-stop ever since she’d heard. She knew Neal must have had to work really hard to appear so composed when he’d called and that he had likely kept it together for her benefit. Knowing her husband as she did, he wouldn’t have wanted her to be concerned about him although she could only imagine just how much he was really hurting. As disappointed as she was not to have been there to say a final goodbye to June, her heart ached for her husband who was such a sensitive and loving soul. She imagined him trying to put on a brave face for the kids, for Mozzie and having no one to turn to who could comfort him and be there when he finally fell apart; that was her job and she wanted to be there for him so badly it hurt. 

She went through the motions of getting ready for bed although she knew sleep would be a long time in coming. She lay there, her mind on June, remembering the early days when Neal’s landlady had been less than thrilled to have her in her home, let alone in Neal’s life. June had associated Sara with the forces of law and order back then, especially when she’d turned up with the police that day looking for the FAA envelope she’d suspected Neal of stealing from her apartment. Of course, she’d been right - but seeing how hurt and vulnerable Neal had been following Kate’s passing had given her some insight into the man and his undying commitment to those he cared for. She’d always found it ironic that in helping Neal deal with Kate’s sudden disappearance from his life, they had somehow managed to connect and, ever so slowly, start to build the relationship that had evolved into almost twenty years of marriage. 

Of course, June had eventually forgiven her for storming her home and when it had become obvious that Sara and Neal’s relationship was becoming serious, June had opened her home and eventually her heart to the young woman. The rest was history; the symbiotic relationship between Neal and June had survived more than two decades and June had proven herself to be an unwavering ally for the young man, supporting him in everything he did. Sara was grateful that Neal had been able to develop such a loving relationship with June, his surrogate mom. Many of his demons were related to issues with his identity and they’d stemmed from the lack of such meaningful relationships in his young life – something Neal had been hell bent on not passing on to his own children. 

Her mind turned to Neal and she longingly touched the pillow next to hers in the cold hotel bed. She couldn’t wait to get home and see him, hold him, comfort him. She grabbed the pillow, closing her eyes and squeezing it tight as she sent him all of her love across the many miles that separated them.

WCWCWC

Pete took a quick look around the main floor of the gallery, satisfied with the havoc they had managed to create. His two buddies were already waiting in the van but Pete wanted to check out the last couple of crates in the back room before leaving. Joe Morley had mentioned that they were from an up and coming artist and Pete wanted to have a look before deciding if he was going to lug them back to the waiting van or just trash them. He used his knife to pry the crate open and he was pulling out the painting when he thought her heard some noise coming from the front room.

WCWCWC

‘You all right Dad? Would you like me to drive?’ Hope asked.

She’d been noticing his eyes glistening as the headlights from oncoming cars flashed in and out. Neal reached out to touch her hand.

‘I’m okay sweet pea. I guess you’re never really ready to watch someone you love die, no matter their age. Grandma June had a very long and happy life and we should all be grateful for that. I’m just going to miss her, that’s all’ he said, his voice unsteady.

‘Me too. She’s been there for me my whole life.’

‘Yes, she has’ Neal agreed. ‘On the night you were born, she was at the hospital and I remember the tears in her eyes when she held you for the first time. She was so happy that we stayed in her house that first year... and she was sad to see us leave.’

‘I still remember how when I was little, she would set me up in a corner of the parlour while you guys chatted and she didn’t care what kind of mess I made. And as I recall, I made quite a few! And she always had the best ice cream... when you weren’t looking, she’d send me back to the kitchen and she’d tell Ethel to give me whatever I wanted’ Hope recalled with a smile.

‘Is that right? I guess Grandma June was quite the con artist herself’ he responded with a fond smile.

‘Oh, and remember the day Liam broke that vase’ she said, laughing as she recalled her baby brother’s face as he realized what he’d done.

‘You mean the Swarovski?’ Neal said, smiling at the recollection.

‘Is that what that was?’ asked Hope, just now realizing the monetary value of the object. ‘He was crying so hard and she just went over and gave him a hug to comfort him – like it was something she’d picked up at Walmart!’

They both laughed heartily at the memory. It felt good to let go of the raw grief even if it was just for a moment.

‘In time, we’ll smile when we think of Grandma June but...’ Neal stopped, the sadness returning.

They drove the rest of the way in silence, arriving at the gallery in record time.

‘I’ll be right back’ Neal said as he stopped the car directly in front of the Raphael – no parking issues at this hour of the night.

‘I’ll come with you. I left my school bag in there somewhere’ Hope said as she stepped out of the car

Truth be told, she could have waited until the next day to collect her bag but Hope didn’t want to let her dad out of her sight, not even for a moment. She knew he was barely keeping it together and although she didn’t want to hover, per se, she wanted to stay nearby and be a presence in his time of sorrow.

It was a nice, breezy yet warm evening and she took in a lungful of air as she stepped onto the curb. The name of the gallery glowed as the full moon shone down on the store and Neal made his way around the car, taking Hope’s elbow as they both walked up to the front door, his key in hand. 

WCWCWC

The sound of the key in the lock was immediately followed by voices and Pete Milville instinctively ducked behind the counter in the back room waiting for an opportunity to make a run for the door. He heard footsteps growing louder as they came towards his hiding spot and he froze, not wanting to be spotted.

WCWCWC

‘Oh, my God!’ Neal cried out as light flooded the room, revealing a mess of unimaginable proportions. The place was quiet but Neal instinctively picked up part of a broken wooden frame from the floor, slowly advancing as he put his arm out to keep Hope safely behind him. He surveyed the space and, seeing no obvious sign of the intruders, he took a few tentative steps towards the staircase that led to the second floor.

‘Hope, stay here!’ he ordered, heading for the stairs with the piece of wood firmly in his grasp. ‘I’m going to go check that there’s no one upstairs.’

‘Be careful, Daddy’ she warned as she took a few more steps into the gallery.

Like a moth drawn to a light, Hope began to move towards the back room where she spent so many hours of her life – the place where she saw magic happen every time her students picked up a brush. She loved that room and all that it represented. It was a place where she’d had the pleasure of watching as young kids discovered the beauty they could create through experimenting with art and she loved being a witness to those amazing discoveries.

The artwork she’d been commenting on for her class, which she’d left in an orderly fashion earlier in the day, was now strewn across the room destroyed by the hand of a very disturbed person. The students’ projects lay in various states of disrepair and she immediately spotted Amanda’s project slashed right through the middle and hanging obscenely from the counter in tatters. Who would do such a senseless thing, she wondered, as she took in the sheer absurdity of the scene before her eyes.

She heard a small noise and let out a gasp as she spotted a man rising from behind the counter, reaching behind him to pull out a shiny object that, in her present state of shock didn’t immediately register for what it was: a glistening handgun.

‘DAD!’ she screamed as the man stood, obviously panicked, his gun drawn and pointed straight at her.

Neal was halfway up the stairs when he heard Hope’s scream and he tumbled back down as fast as his legs could carry him, following the sound of her voice, the large piece of wood still firmly clasped in his hand. The horrifying sight of a gun being pointed at his daughter greeted him as he turned the corner and he froze momentarily, not wanting to do anything that might cause the gun to go off with dire consequences he dared not even to imagine.

The intruder locked eyes with him as Neal continued slowly towards where Hope was standing, totally motionless, like a deer caught in the headlights. Neal’s eyes went to the man’s face, as he frowned in recognition, flashing back to the events that had occurred over a year ago on the 38th floor of the Sterling Bosch offices. This was one of the guys from that night – Neal could be forgiven for forgetting his name under such strained circumstances – but he pushed aside the realization as his mind raced to find a way out of the present conundrum.  
‘Look, you’ve had your fun’ Neal finally said, continuing to walk slowly towards Hope. ‘Now take what you want and get out.’

He continued advancing slowly yet determined, eager to get between Hope and the gun that was still pointed straight at her and held by, what he was now noticing, were very shaky hands. Neal’s movements were making Pete Milville nervous and for some reason he could not explain, he continued to stand there transfixed, watching as Neal got closer to Hope – and to him. 

‘Stop moving!’ Pete screamed, his voice shrill. The man had just given him permission to run but for some reason Pete just stood there, staring, his eyes going from the young woman’s terrified eyes to her dad who was slowly advancing, still holding that big piece of wood menacingly in his hand. 

Neal finally made it to where Hope stood, intent on positioning himself between his daughter and the gun’s trajectory and he suddenly put his arm out to push her behind him, out of harm’s way. 

The swift movement spooked Pete and to everyone’s surprise, the gun went off in the otherwise silent gallery – it’s sound deafening as it clattered to the floor. Without looking behind, he took a run towards the back door, leaving behind another mess.

This one, bloody. 

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Peter Burke tossed and turned in bed, his wife’s rhythmic breathing keeping him company as he thought about June Ellington. What a fascinating woman she’d been – strong and independent, long before it had ever been trendy to be so. He remembered the first time he’d met June – that first morning he’d shown up at 87 Riverside Drive. She had told him ever so matter-of-factly that his new CI was upstairs and Peter had climbed up three stories to find Neal Caffrey, recently released criminal, enjoying a fresh cup of Italian roast in the company of June’s beautiful granddaughter.

Peter had been furious to realize that Neal had landed firmly on both feet – seemingly unaware that this life of luxury was not the norm and certainly not what he was entitled to considering he was on a work release program and recently released from Sing Sing. He thought back to Neal’s face that morning – so smug and cocky. Of course, Peter had learned, over time, that it was all a facade, a self-preservation strategy Neal had worked for years to cultivate. In hindsight, it was all very amusing and in the end, Neal had been forced to learn his life lessons the hard way – through loss and pain just like everybody else.

Of course, the man he knew today was nothing like the narcissistic conman he’d been although he still had that same annoying – or was that endearing – personality. June had been a big part of Neal’s metamorphosis, giving him the confidence he needed to believe in himself, his true self, and not the mask he’d paraded around in for those first few years.

June had been an enigma in so many ways. Peter was aware of her husband’s shady dealings; he’d once researched the man’s criminal history and he knew in no uncertain terms that much of June’s wealth had come from Byron’s illicit activities. From what he’d learned, Byron Ellington had been a lot like Neal Caffrey, a kind-hearted criminal who just couldn’t help but use his amazing skills to outsmart and outmanoeuvre the dimwitted rich people he rubbed elbows with. But in the end, despite her less than wholesome background, June had been nothing but a positive influence in Neal’s life and a loving grandmother to his two children and Peter smiled at that realization as he finally gave in to the soft sound of El’s breathing and let himself fall asleep.

WCWCWC

The sound of the back door of the gallery slamming was followed by the thud of Neal’s body hitting the hard wood floor as Hope tried in vain to break his fall. In years to come, whenever Hope would reflect on the horrible events of that night, she would never be able to recall any of the details nor any of her movements - no matter how hard she tried. 

She watched in horror as her dad fell at her feet, his eyes wide open yet unfocussed, a large bright red stain beginning to form and seep through his crisp white dress shirt.Some voice deep inside her was screaming that she needed to call for help.

Right now.

She fumbled with her phone, looking down at her hands which were somehow bloody and suddenly uncooperative. She kneeled down, leaning over her dad as her fingers somehow found the 9, then the 1, then another 1.

‘911 emergency’ came a man’s voice. ‘How may I direct your call?’

‘My... my... my dad’s been... shot’ she finally managed to say, although the words she’d uttered made absolutely no sense.

‘Can you tell me where you are?’ asked the man.

‘We’re at the gallery’ she answered, her mind not focussed enough to properly answer the question.

‘What gallery?’ he asked.

**_How many galleries do you think we own, you idiot?_ **

‘ _Our_ gallery, hum… the Raphael Gallery’ she finally blurted out.

Neal remained motionless on the ground; he’d fallen on his back, leaning slightly to one side although his current pose seemed to be the least of his problems considering the screaming pain deep in his gut. Hope tried to settle him on his back although how one could be made to feel comfortable with a large gaping hole in one’s abdomen was up for debate. He winced as fresh pain flared, his eyes momentarily closing to collect himself. 

‘It’s okay, Dad’ Hope managed to say although the situation was anything _but_ all right. She could hear noises on the line – it sounded like the guy on the other end was typing away in the distance. She wondered why the hell he’d be checking his Facebook page at a time like this.

‘Okay’ he finally said, returning on the line. ‘Is that the Raphael on West 27th?’

‘Yes’ she said, her voice fading.

_**Tell me what to do to help my dad, don’t ask me about our stupid gallery!** _

‘My name is Colin, what’s your name?’ asked the man, annoyingly calm.

_**Really, you’re flirting with me right now?** _ ****

‘What’s your name?’ he repeated and Hope snapped back to reality.

‘Hope... Caffrey’ she said, hypnotized by Neal’s wild eyes staring back at her. His mouth was moving but no sound was coming out and she kept staring at his lips trying to decode what he was trying so desperately to communicate.

_**What, Daddy? What should I do?** _

‘Hope, listen to me’ the disembodied voice said. ‘I need you to put the phone on hands free and place it down on the ground beside you. But don’t hang up. I’m going to stay on the line with you until help arrives.’

Hope looked down at the phone, her hands dark and red noticing she’d totally smeared it with copious amounts of blood and she somehow found the hands-free feature, placing the phone down beside her as her eyes returned to her dad. His raspy breathing grew louder, hurting her ears.

‘Is your dad breathing?’ Colin asked.

_**Of course he’s breathing; otherwise he’d be dead!** _

‘Y-y-yes. Yes, he’s breathing’ Hope answered as she stared down at Neal. He kept staring right back, an empty look in his eyes, his mouth slightly open in an obscene way that Hope had never seen before

_**Stop, Daddy.You’re scaring me!** _

‘The police and the ambulance are on their way, Hope’ said Colin. ‘Where was your dad shot?’

_**I told you, stupid! At the gallery!** _

‘Where on his body is the gunshot wound?’ the man repeated patiently when Hope didn’t respond.

‘His stomach... there’s... there’s... there’s so much blood... everywhere’ Hope cried breathlessly.

‘Is your dad conscious?’ Colin asked.

_**Can’t you see his eyes are wide open?** _ ****

‘Yes.... he’s looking right at me’ she answered.

_**Daddy! Stop it! You’re freaking me out here!** _ ****

‘Can you see where the blood is coming from Hope?’ the emergency operator asked.

_**Which part of the word stomach don’t you understand?** _ ****

Hope tore her eyes away from her dad’s face for a moment to try to find the source of the bleeding. It was just one giant mess – wasn’t that the shirt her mom had given him for Christmas last year?

‘It’s... messy’ Hope managed to utter.

‘Try to find the source of the bleeding. Rip open his shirt if you have to’ the man instructed.

_**Mom’s going to be so pissed that you ruined this shirt** _

‘Ohhh! Ohhh!’ Hope cried out suddenly as she took notice of the floor.

‘What is it Hope?’ the man asked.

‘There’s more blood coming from the back but... he didn’t shoot him in the back’ she said, her voice trembling.

_**Why are you bleeding so much, Dad?** _

Neal’s eyes closed and Hope could hear his breathing, loud yet shallow as he fought for every single breath. She gingerly tugged at his shirt, trying to follow instructions and Neal let out a loud moan as she accidentally jostled him. She looked down, apologizing with her eyes – but the voice on the other end of the phone was telling her to do this and in the absence of a better suggestion on her dad’s part, she continued doing what she’d been instructed to do.

_**STOP BLEEDING!** _

‘You need to try to slow down the bleeding Hope’ Colin was saying from his spot on the floor.

Neal's moan gave way to an even louder groan as her hand grazed his now burning flesh. His eyes flew open and Hope pulled back for an instant, unsure if she should continue.

‘I’m sorry Daddy’ she muttered, unsure what to do next.

Neal gave her a small nod with his head, urging her on – was he really following all this?

‘Hope, do you have anything you can use to press down on the wound? A scarf, a sweater, any piece of clothing?’ Colin asked.

She looked around, lost for a moment, before she grabbed the scarf she’d been wearing – the pretty fuchsia one that Cam had given her for her birthday just a couple of months before. She proceeded to place it on what appeared to be the source of the bleeding although it was very difficult to tell where all this blood was coming from. Neal winced at the sensation of the scarf against his oversensitive skin but closed his eyes tight; seemingly bracing himself for the pain he knew was imminent. Hope took a deep breath, gathering up her courage, and pressed down resolutely on the wound.

‘Awwww!’ Neal cried out, in obvious agony.

‘I’m hurting him!’ she yelled, momentarily pulling back.

‘I know it hurts him but you have to do it, Hope’ Colin said. ’The ambulance is just four minutes out; you’re doing great!’

_**FOUR MINUTES! That’s a goddam eternity!** _

‘I can’t do it’ she cried both to Neal and to the man on the phone – what was his name again?

‘Have .... to’ Neal suddenly said breathlessly, the first words he’d managed to utter since he’d hit the ground.

Encouraged by Neal’s words, Hope took a deep breath, determined to try again – but that horriblemoaninggrew even louder as Neal’s eyes closed in reaction to the increased pain

‘Hard...harder’ he tried desperately to scream although it came out as barely a whisper.

‘But there’s blood coming from the back too!’ she screamed as she continued to apply pressure.

The sound of Neal’s breathing seemed to settle down a little as the blood flow stymied and he suddenly found the strength to lift his arm bringing it up to hers, trying in vain to help her apply pressure on the open wound.

‘Do...do it’ he whispered breathlessly as Hope continued to stare at the gaping hole in his stomach.

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably but she managed to get up on her knees in order to get better leverage and she bit her lip hard as she began to apply even more pressure - although why she was being instructed to inflict excruciating pain on this man she loved so much, she couldn’t quite understand. 

_**I don’t want to hurt you, Daddy!** _

‘Go..od...’ he managed to say, through his gritted teeth.

‘Daddy, I’m sorry, I’m sorry... I’m sorry’ she cried as she pushed down with all her might.

Neal whimpered and he suddenly went limp, his eyes closed, causing Hope to panic.

‘No, no’ she cried.

‘What’s going on Hope?’ Colin asked – was he still there, listening to all this?

‘He closed his eyes’ she cried out, totally losing all composure. ‘He’s gonna die, he’s gonna die!’

_**What kind of help are you anyway?** _

‘Try talking to him, try to keep him conscious’ Colin advised, his voice steady.

_**DAD! DAD! DAD!** _

‘I think he stopped breathing’ Hope shouted in horror.

TBC 


	18. Chapter 18

_Neal stood at the front door of the majestic home on Riverside Drive just as he’d done thousands of times before. This time felt unlike any other time he’d visited the home and he wasn’t quite sure why. He hesitated for a moment then knocked softly, unsure as to whether or not he was welcome inside. The door opened, revealing a handsome man, skin the colour of hot chocolate and a small pencil moustache over his upper lip; he was approximately Neal’s height, a tiny bit heavier and Neal stared back at him, wondering why he looked so familiar. He was reasonably sure he’d never met him before but the man seemed to recognize Neal as he looked him up and down._

_‘Neal!What are you doing here?’ he asked, frowning._

_Neal continued to stare back, unsure of the answer. Whatever force had led him back to this familiar place was beyond his control; he shrugged in response._

_Suddenly, he heard June’s voice as she came up behind him, popping her head out from behind the familiar face._

_‘Darling’ she said, alarmed. ‘You shouldn’t be here.’_

_Neal’s eyes grew wide as he took in the sight of her – a much younger June than the one he’d just said goodbye to, her face smooth, just as it had been when he’d first met her all those years ago. He could hear voices coming from behind her and curiosity got the better of him as he stepped into the house and looked around the parlour which was softly lit, warm shadows everywhere._

_‘K... K...Kate?’ he whispered, shocked, as he saw the young woman he’d so loved sitting on the settee. Contrary to June, whom he’d just said goodbye to, he hadn’t laid eyes on Kate in over twenty years. She looked just as beautiful and innocent as ever as she sat there, staring back, uncertain how to react to his presence, so unexpected. She stood and Neal made his way over to her, taking her hand._

_‘You’re here!’ he said in quiet disbelief._

_‘But_ you _shouldn’t be, Neal. You don’t belong here’ answered Kate her eyes warm but her hand cold in his grasp._

_‘She’s right’ came another loving voice from Neal’s past and he looked up to see Ellen standing nearby, much as she’d looked when he was merely a teenager._

_Neal let go of Kate’s hand and ran over to where Ellen stood, spontaneously taking her in his arms only to find her distant and unresponsive as he attempted to hold her close._

_‘Neal, it’s not the right time for you’ she said, pulling away and touching his face._

_‘But what is this? Why are you all here?’ Neal asked, puzzled yet exhilarated at the same time._

_June stepped up, holding Byron’s arm, looking so graceful and... happy – that’s what Neal was seeing:a joy in her eyes he’d never seen in all the years he’d known her._

_‘Darling, you need to go home. Sara needs you and Liam and Hope need you. You can’t stay here’ she said, her voice loving and wise._

__ _‘But...’ he responded, still in shock at finding three women he had loved so much surrounding him._

_‘No buts, Neal’ Kate said, her voice firm. ‘There’ll come a time for you but this isn’t it. You need to go back to your family.’_

_Neal looked from one face to the other; not quite comprehending the ambivalence he was feeling at this unexpected and most amazing reunion. He was suddenly aware that he had a choice to make: he could stay and be with them but that would come at a price, a price he was unwilling to pay._

_There was a thunderous knock on the door, more of a banging really, and Neal recognized Hope’s desperate voice coming from the other side._

_‘Dad! Dad! Please open up! I need you to come back. Please Daddy!’ she pleaded, her voice loud and shrill._

_Neal looked at the loving faces around him, taking them in one by one and smiling tenderly at each one. As forceful as the attraction had been to walk through that door seconds before, it was even more compelling for him to turn back and return to where he’d come from. He resolutely turned away from the women and opened the door to find Hope standing there._

_She threw herself in his arms and unlike Ellen’s embrace, hers was warm and welcoming._

Neal could hear Hope’s panicked voice far away in the distance as the pain suddenly returned, unbidden and unwelcome. He pulled in a ragged gasp of air which brought on a painful hiccup as his eyes flew open.

‘Dad! Dad! Please!’ she was saying as she continued pushing down mercilessly on the open wound.

The reappearance of Neal’s baby blue eyes was a welcome sight and Hope let out an audible sigh of relief. 

‘...’m here’ Neal managed to say as he recovered from the brief coughing fit.

_**Dammit, Dad don’t scare me like that!** _

‘He opened his eyes!’ she reported to Colin out there somewhere in the stratosphere, she wasn’t quite sure where.

‘Dad, help is coming. Look at me, look at me’ she repeated, trying to get her dad to focus on the sound of her shaking voice.

All of a sudden she seemed to be channeling Meredith Grey and her mission had become crystal clear; she needed to keep him awake and talking until help arrived.

‘You’re going to be okay. Just hang on, Daddy’ she managed to say although she wasn’t sure whose voice that was she’d just heard echoing in the empty gallery – most certainly not hers.

Neal nodded weakly and forced himself to smile for her sake, clenching his jaw so as not to scream at the searing pain in his side as she continued to push down on the gaping hole in his stomach. 

‘ ... doing great... sweet pea’ he managed to eke out as he momentarily caught his breath.

_**Yeah Dad. Whatever! You’re lying here bleeding out and you’re the one who’s cheering me on?** _

‘You’re... I love you’ he said, his words slurred, his eyes unfocussed.

**_Why would he be saying that at a time like this?_ **

‘Dad, stop it. Don’t say that’ she cried.

‘But... I need... need you to know...’ he whispered, his eyes rolling back in his head as he began to slip away once more.

‘Shut up, Dad! You’re not going anywhere. You can tell me how much you love me later – after you chew me out for forgetting to set the alarm’ she said, crying loudly.

He rallied again, fighting back the pain and his eyes opened wider as he somehow found the strength to speak once again.

‘Tell Mom...’ he began before Hope lost it.

_**SHUT UP!** _ ****

‘I told you, stop it Dad! Don’t talk like that. Don’t! Don’t!’ she screamed as she continued pushing down on the open wound, using both hands and all of her upper body strength.

Her hands were shaking but she didn’t relent, continuing to push down ruthlessly, stemming the flow of blood and causing her dad unspeakable pain as she went. What was that phrase that kept playing in her head: short term pain for long term gain...

‘Hope, the ambulance is arriving in front of the gallery’ Colin suddenly said from his position on the floor. ‘You’re going to hear them come in any second.’

‘You hear that, Dad? Help is here. You’ll see, they’ll do a much better job than I’m doing...’ she said, half laughing, half crying.

Neal continued to stare back, wanting to say something but unable to muster up the strength as he just stared into Hope’s beautiful blue eyes, tears streaming down her face.

Right on cue, Hope heard noises coming from the main room and she yelled for them to follow her voice.

‘Over here! Hurry, hurry!’ she called out to them as a pair of paramedics ran in, wasting no time in taking their positions on either side of Neal.

‘We’ve got him’ said one of the two men in a calm voice as he tried to pry Hope off her bleeding dad.

As much as she hadn’t wanted to touch the wound in the first place, now she was reluctant to let it go. She continued to push down with all her might, afraid of letting go, afraid of what might happen if she did.

Suddenly there was a third person standing over her, a police officer, who was pulling her away more insistently as she screamed for him to let her go. She wasn’t finished – she needed to help her dad and all she knew was that someone was trying to keep her from finishing the important job she’d started.

Colin’s voice perked up again on the other end. ‘Hope, I’m going to hang up now. You did an incredible job! Good luck with your dad.’

And as suddenly as he’d been there, he was gone and Hope immediately missed his soothing voice as the police officer spoke softly in her ear.

‘You’ve got to let him go’ he was saying as Hope tried to fight him off.

‘NO! NO! That’s my dad!’ she kept screaming as the officer finally managed to pry her hands off Neal’s body, with Hope fighting him all the way.

There was a lot of talking in walkie-talkies and words she didn’t understand and she watched helplessly as the EMTs lifted her dad off the ground and strapped him onto a gurney, working expertly on his inert body. Hope’s eyes were riveted on his face, his eyes closing once again as he finally gave in to the excruciating pain.

Another officer, a woman (where had she come from?) was leaning down, holding Hope’s phone in her latex covered hands.

‘Honey, who can we call to come and be with you?’ she asked as she began scrolling down Hope’s contact list.

Hope just stared ahead as the paramedics began to push the gurney carrying her dad towards the front door. She’d begun to take off after them when she felt an arm holding her back. She fought off the police officer and she felt an arm encircle her waist, pulling her back as she began to kick and scream, the arms holding onto her even tighter, her legs dangling as he lifted her off the ground.

‘They’re going to take good care of your dad. Now, let us take care of you’ said the kind voice.

WCWCWC

Hope stood in front of the sink in the tiny washroom of the gallery, eyes riveted on someone who looked vaguely like herself in the mirror. She watched, impassive, as the officer gently washed Hope’s hands in the sink, the water dark red as it went down the drain, a part of her father disappearing down a hole, never to return. Hope was reminded of when she was a little girl, her mom washing her hands for her, her comforting presence hovering over her as she scrubbed her dirty hands after having played for hours in the sandbox in their backyard.

But this wasn’t her mom, this was a stranger and this wasn’t the gritty sand of the familiar sandbox but her father’s blood which was being unceremoniously rinsed down the drain.It seemed to take forever and Hope continued staring as drop after drop of dark red water ran down her hands and onto the now red porcelain before finally rinsing clear.

By the time Hope returned from the washroom, with the police officer by her side, Cameron Armstrong had appeared out of nowhere and she had no recollection as to how that had happened. He was talking to the other officer and as soon as he spotted Hope, he ran to her, taking her trembling body in his arms. Although his intent was to comfort her, Hope felt absolutely nothing as she continued to shake uncontrollably, her body lying limp in his arms as the full effect of the shock set in. Now that she didn’t have the all-important job of keeping her dad alive, she was totally unresponsive as if all that had happened in the last twenty or so minutes had happened to someone else.

‘I want to see my dad’ she said, weakly as she pulled out of Cam’s grasp.

The officer looked at Cameron. ‘They’ve taken him to Bellevue. Are you okay to get there on your own?’ he asked.

Cam nodded as he took Hope by the shoulders and led her out the front door of the gallery.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Sara lay in the comfortable bed in suite 1207 of the Langham Hotel in Chicago and dreamt of Neal Caffrey. He was walking towards her on a busy city street, Peter by his side, studying her as she came towards him. The look in his eyes was defiant and cocky just as it had been on the day he’d sat in the prisoner’s box all those years ago. She watched him glare at her, none too pleased to be confronted with the woman who had contributed to making his life a living hell for over four years. She saw the look of defiance in his eyes as he approached and all Sara could think about was how gorgeous he looked as his bright blue eyes glared intensely at her – well, through her. 

She hadn't laid eyes on him since the fateful day she’d heard the judge proclaim his sentence: four years for bond forgery. What a joke! The son of a bitch had gotten away with so much more and she hated him for all he represented – self-importance, hubris, smugness, arrogance, self-righteousness, vanity. Her eyes returned to his sculpted features, boastful and pretentious and yet, she couldn’t stop staring – mesmerized by his presence. Luckily, he couldn’t detect how her heartbeat had begun to accelerate at the sight of him or how the palms of her hands had begun to sweat as she’d seen him come around the corner. 

No, she thought, I will not give in to your charms, Neal Caffrey, I will not let you con me, I will not let you worm your way into my quiet, orderly existence, I will not let you sweet talk me, I will not let you kiss me senseless, I will not let you become the most important person in my universe.

She woke with a start. Thank God she had let him do just that. 

WCWCWC

The phone rang in the quiet Burke house. The owners had been sound asleep but no more. Elizabeth gave her husband an elbow to the ribs although it was totally unnecessary; he was already reaching towards the offending sound even though his eyes were still firmly closed. Years of being called at all hours of the day and night had made Peter an expert at finding the phone in the dark.

‘Hello?’ he mumbled. 

‘Mr. Burke?’ he heard the young voice say.

‘Who is this?’ Peter said, slightly annoyed.

‘It’s Cameron, Cameron Armstrong.’

Peter’s curiosity was piqued and he propped himself up on an elbow, slowly coming to. Why would Cam be calling him at this ungodly hour of the night? His eyes widened, taking in the time on the clock by the bedside: 11:47.

‘Cam? What’s the matter?’

‘There was an incident at the gallery tonight’ he began, easing into the subject. He wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to tell the man that his best friend was being rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound.

‘What kind of incident?’ Peter asked. He was sitting up now and El had begun to stir as she listened to Peter’s side of the conversation.

‘A break-in and a ... shooting’ Cam said hesitantly.

Peter reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. ’A shooting? Was anyone hurt?’

‘Yes’ Cam answered, still pussy-footing around the point of his call.

‘Did you call Neal?’ Peter asked as he began to move around the room looking for clothes he could throw on. Surely, he’d have to go in and see what was what if there’d been a break-in at the gallery; the police would want to talk to one of the owners.

‘That’s just it’ Cam finally blurted out. ’Mr. Caffrey’s the one who got shot.’

‘What? What was he doing at the gallery?’ Peter asked, not waiting for an answer. ‘Where are you now?’ 

Elizabeth knew her husband well enough to know that something was really wrong and she stood and began handing him articles of clothing while she waited patiently for him to fill her in on what was going on.

‘I’m with Hope and we’re following the ambulance over to Bellevue. Can you meet us there?’

‘I’ll be right there’ Peter exclaimed as he pulled up his pants, phone still against his ear.

‘What?’ El asked, seeing the frantic look in Peter’s eyes.

‘Neal’s been shot’ he said, realizing how unreal the words sounded.

‘Shot?’ she repeated as she herself began to forage for something to change into. ‘I’m coming with you.’ 

WCWCWC

Hope sat in the car next to Cameron on the short drive to the hospital. She looked down as a streetlight flooded the car with warm light, noticing that despite having washed her hands thoroughly, her clothes were still covered in blood. 

Her dad’s blood. 

She’d just heard Cameron talking on the phone but her mind was having trouble focussing and she wasn’t sure who exactly he’d been talking to. Something about her dad having been shot and getting to the hospital as soon as possible. Less than an hour earlier, she’d been sitting in the car with her dad by her side – what had happened exactly? She could see Cam’s hand on hers but she couldn’t feel a thing, her body apparently disconnected from her brain.

‘Your uncle Peter and aunt Elizabeth are going to meet us at the hospital’ Cameron said, squeezing the unfeeling hand.

Hope nodded vacantly. She thought of her mom. Where was her mom anyway? It took a few seconds to remember that she was away on business – where exactly, she couldn’t remember just now.

‘Mom?’ she simply said, under her breath.

‘We’ll call her from the hospital’ Cameron said reassuringly. 

He couldn’t imagine having to tell Sara Ellis that her husband had been shot when she was miles away - maybe he could get Peter or Elizabeth Burke to make that call. 

Cam saw the hospital in the distance and accelerated slightly, eager to get there and find out what state Neal was in. He glanced over at Hope who sat there, disconnected from the events of the last hour.

‘Hope, sweetie’ he said, squeezing her hand once more. ‘We’re here.’

WCWCWC

Ryan Mercer checked out his weary eyes in the mirror of the men’s room. He threw some water on his face and adjusted his stethoscope, preparing to return to the ER. He’d been on duty since 7:00 that morning and he was totally done in. He’d been scheduled to leave earlier in the evening but a young couple involved in a car accident had come in on the heels of an attempted suicide and just like that, his plans had fallen by the wayside. His wife had been as understanding as always, and he’d heard her over the phone, unceremoniously ripping up the tickets they’d had for the symphony that night. ‘That’s okay, baby. Go save some lives’ she’d said.

He made his way back to the ER to check on the new arrival. The triage team had deemed it a priority 1, the highest priority, and his best third year resident had been directing things around the newly arrived GSW.  
‘What have we got?’ he asked as he pulled back the curtain of the small cubicle.

Amazingly, there were four people crammed into that small space, each doing exactly what he or she was supposed to be doing: trying to save the life of a man who continued to vacillate between life and death.

’Fifty-four year old man, GSW to the lower left abdomen, extreme blood loss, entrance wound is clean, exit wound is messy, we’re trying to stabilize him. We’ve already given him 8 units but he’s going to need more’ the resident reported as everyone continued working around him, like a well-oiled machine.

‘How long before he’s ready to go to the ER?’ asked the doctor as he listened carefully to his resident’s take on the situation.

‘I want to give him at least three more units. He’s lost an awful lot of blood. But somebody did a decent job of slowing down the blood loss before he got here’ said the young man.

‘Who’s on the OR roster tonight?’ Mercer asked. Although all surgeons at Bellevue were competent doctors, Mercer definitely had his favourites.

‘Miller and Johnston’ answered the head nurse as she continued to monitor the blood transfusion they were giving their patient.

‘Lucky man’ said Dr. Mercer. ‘Carry on, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Family?’ he asked.

‘There’s a daughter, in the waiting room’ said one of the nurses.

Now, the fun part... talking to frantic family members and walking that fine line between being optimistic and being realistic. It wasn’t his first rodeo and it sure as hell wouldn’t be his last. He turned towards the waiting area and prepared to brief the man’s family.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth and Peter arrived mere minutes after Cameron and Hope and as soon as Hope saw her aunt coming towards her, it was as if she’d been given permission to finally fall apart. She ran towards El, right into her open arms and sobbed as her godmother held her, running her hands through her hair.

Peter didn’t waste any time and walked over to where Cameron stood.

‘What do we know?’ he asked as he prepared to go to the triage desk. It was times like this Peter wished he still had his trusty badge; these days, all he had was a business card from the Raphael Gallery – not exactly the clout he used to have in situations like this.

‘Nothing yet. They told us to wait here and someone would come out and talk to us’ Cam said as Peter walked right past him towards the nurses’ desk.

‘Caffrey’ he said as he addressed the nurse. ‘What can you tell us?’

‘They’re still assessing him, sir. The doctor should be out any minute to talk to the family’ said the woman who spent her life trying to reassure family members of trauma victims, not always with reason. Too many gunshot victims died in the first few critical minutes and looking in the eyes of the man who stood in front of her, she hoped it wouldn't be the case with this ‘Caffrey’ guy.

Peter turned away reluctantly; he knew he had to let people do their job but not knowing whether Neal was dead or alive was more than his ticker could handle and he turned to see El ushering Hope over to a nearby chair as Cameron looked on, helpless. Peter made his way over to where El and Hope sat and put his arm around his goddaughter.

‘They’ll be out in a minute to fill us in’ he said as Cameron continued to hover nearby.

He didn’t know how to deal with Hope in her present state; where was that girlfriend of his who was so full of life and who laughed so heartily and easily at all his stupid jokes? She was sorely MIA and he wished he knew what to say or what to do to make this all better. He’d been jolted out of a deep sleep by a police officer asking him to come to the gallery and he’d gotten there minutes after the ambulance carrying Neal had pulled away. He’d been shocked by what he’d found when he walked in. The gallery had been vandalized and he’d watched in horror as Hope was escorted back into the room, her face as white as a sheet, her eyes unresponsive as shock began to set in. He was thankful to have Peter and Elizabeth Burke there; El’s presence, especially, seemed to be having a calming effect on Hope and although she was still upset and crying, anything was better than seeing her with that blank look on her face.

‘Have you called your mom yet?’ El asked as she rubbed Hope’s back.

Hope just shook her head. ‘I don’t know how to tell her’ she said, sobbing.

‘Do you want me to do it?’ asked Peter.

Hope nodded vacantly. She didn't feel like she could talk to her mom without falling apart. Her uncle Peter would do a much better job than she could in the present circumstances. 

All four of them looked up as they heard someone say: ‘Who’s here for Neal Caffrey?’

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

‘Here!’ Peter called out without the slightest hesitation.

Dr. Mercer made his way over to where the four of them stood and instructed them to sit down.

‘I’m Dr. Mercer, one of the emergency room physicians’ he said, his voice calm and authoritative. ‘Mr. Caffrey has suffered a gunshot wound to the lower left abdomen. He’s lost a lot of blood and we’re trying to stabilize him before we send him up to surgery.’ 

‘He’s ... alive?’ asked Hope, her voice shaking.

The doctor nodded. ’He is. But his situation is critical. We don’t want to operate until we can get his blood up to normal levels. The good news is that the bullet has gone straight through and out the back so it’s not lodged in his abdomen. But that means that there is both an entrance and an exit wound which has made the blood loss a lot worse.’

He took in the state of the foursome and it didn’t take a rocket scientist - only an ER doctor - to deduce that Hope had been the one to provide the critical first aid Neal had received in the moments following the shooting. Her clothing was still covered in blood and he recognized the stunned look on her face for what it was: the look of someone who had been called on to react in an emergency situation, totally unprepared.

‘Is that your dad in there?’ he asked, addressing Hope.

She nodded but didn’t answer.

‘Well, I think you may have saved his life tonight’ he continued. ‘You did a great job trying to keep him from bleeding out. If you hadn’t been there, I would be standing here telling you that he didn’t make it.’

Hope listened and watched the man’s mouth move as he talked; she was still only getting a small portion of what people were saying, her brain still struggling to understand what was happening around her. El gave her an encouraging squeeze, her arm still wrapped around her goddaughter’s shoulder.

‘As soon as we stabilize him, we’ll move him to surgery and we’ll be able to better assess the damage’ Dr. Mercer concluded as he stood, indicating that was all he could reasonably say at this point in time.

‘Is this young woman the next of kin?’ he asked looking at Peter and El.

‘For now’ Peter explained. ‘We’re just about to call his wife; she’s away on business.’

Dr. Mercer nodded in understanding. ‘We need someone to sign the release form for the surgery’ he added as he handed Peter a clipboard.

‘I’ll take care of it’ he answered as they watched the ER doctor walk away.

Peter was no more thrilled at the prospect of placing the dreaded call to Sara than Hope or Cam had been but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. She needed to know – however difficult it might be for her to have to deal with the news when she was so far away. He excused himself, moving to a quieter spot in the corner of the room and took in a deep breath before dialling.

WCWCWC

Sara lay in bed, wide awake; she was still thinking about June and how devastated Neal must be feeling. She imagined him lying in their bed back in White Plains, unable to sleep. She debated calling him, opting instead to send him a text just in case he’d somehow managed to nod off. If he was awake, he’d reply right away.

‘Thinking of you ☹️💜’ she typed. She had just pressed the ‘send’ button when the phone rang in her hand and she frowned as she saw Peter’s name come up on the screen.

‘Peter?’ she answered, not bothering with niceties.

‘Sara…’ he said, taking in one more gulp of air. ‘There’s been an accident - I’m afraid Neal’s been hurt.’

‘Hurt? What do you mean, hurt?’ she asked as she sat up and turned on the bedside lamp in one swift movement. ‘I just talked to him a couple of hours ago.’

‘There was a break-in at the gallery and Neal was shot’ he explained as calmly as he could manage; there really was no way of sugar-coating this.

‘What?’ Sara said, trying to compute what she was hearing. ‘What do you mean shot?’

‘We’re at the hospital right now, with Hope’ Peter said. ‘They’re going to take Neal into surgery as soon as they get him stabilized.’

Sara was already moving around the room, throwing things in her suitcase haphazardly as she listened. 

‘Hum... how bad is it?’ she managed to ask despite dreading the answer.

‘I won’t lie to you Sara. It’s bad but the doctor just came to talk to us and he says that they’re hoping he’ll be stable enough to operate within the next little while.’ 

Sara felt her whole body trembling as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. ’I’m on my way. What hospital are you at?’ 

‘We’re at Bellevue. But one of us will come and pick you up at the airport. Just let us know where you’re landing and what time your flight gets in once you get everything figured out.

‘Yeah. Yeah’ Sara replied absentmindedly. 

She was still two hours away from home and God only knew how soon she could get a flight out. She began to panic at the realization that she was so very far away from home, away from the man she loved at a time when he needed her so desperately. Suddenly, a horrible thought crossed her mind.

‘Peter, you are telling me the truth, right? This isn’t like in the movies where they wait for the wife to get there in person so they don’t have to tell her over the phone that her husband is dead’ she asked, her voice halting.

‘He’s alive, Sara. He is in critical condition, though’ Peter admitted. 

‘Just… just promise me you’ll call and keep me posted no matter what.’

She hung up, reverting to action mode. There was no time for emotions. Even in her present state of shock, she knew that if she fell apart, she would never be able to put herself back together so she could herself home. She suddenly remembered that Lydia was asleep in the next room and with trembling hands, she wrote a short note: ‘Emergency back home, had to leave’ and she slipped it under her friend’s door as she ran down to the hotel lobby to hail a cab.

WCWCWC

Peter returned to where his wife was sitting and nodded to her, letting her know he had spoken to Sara.

‘I told her one of us would be at the airport when she got in’ he said as he took up a spot next to his wife.

El nodded in response. Her best friend would be going through hell – and there was absolutely nothing any of them could do for her until she landed. Suddenly, Hope piped up, her mind finally starting to cooperate.

‘What about Uncle Mozzie and Liam? They should know’ she said.

‘I’ll do it’ said Peter as he grabbed his phone and began to call the Caffrey residence. 

Within half an hour, the foursome had grown as Mozzie and Liam took up residence alongside the rest of the group, everyone settling in for a long, agonizing wait. 

WCWCWC

Sara stood at the counter in the quiet airport, her voice trembling as she spoke.

‘I don’t think you understand what I’m saying’ she was yelling, her voice shrill. ‘My husband has just been shot and I have to get back to New York, RIGHT NOW!’

She hadn’t realized her voice was growing louder, drawing unwanted attention to herself. The young attendant behind the counter grew flustered at Sara’s tone of voice and insistence.

‘Ma’am, I told you, we don’t have anything available until 4:00 a.m.’ she said.

‘That’s ridiculous! You have a flight leaving in 15 minutes’ Sara shouted, pointing to the departures screen above her head.

‘Yes, but that flight’s fully booked and already boarded‘ the attendant said before being cut off.

‘I don’t care – surely, you can bump someone off that flight, this is an emergency’ Sara screamed, finally losing it after having kept her cool for what seemed like a long time.

‘Sara!’ she heard as she turned to find Lydia standing there, suitcase in hand.

‘What are you...?’ Sara began as she took in the sight of her friend.

‘Come here, sit down’ she ordered. ‘Let me take care of it.’ 

She told a firm hold of Sara’s arm and guided her over to a nearby seat, physically pushing her down against her will.

She returned to the young woman at the counter and Sara watched as Lydia took charge. Within a few seconds, an older gentleman appeared as Lydia continued to gesticulate, presumably explaining the situation. Within moments, she’d returned and she took Sara’s arm once again, this time to pull her back up to her feet.

‘We’re on the flight. Now come on, we’re going to have to run to make it’ she said as she picked up Sara’s bag and began to lead the way. 

Sara followed, shell-shocked.

WCWCWC

It was now past one o’clock on Thursday morning and the assembled group continued its vigil in the waiting room of Bellevue Hospital. Hope sat with Cam’s arm around her, slowly returning to herself. She had been checked out by the doctor and her clothes had been switched out for a set of crisp scrubs and a warm blanket which Cam kept wrapped around her shoulders. Except for the first few seconds following their arrival at the gallery, everything remained a blur… except for a few snippets of her dad lying there with blood pooling around him, an image she would gladly erase if she could. 

El and Peter sat nearby, holding hands, Peter’s face sombre as he feared the worst and continued to hope for the best. Mozzie paced nearby as Liam sat quietly next to his sister, totally overwhelmed by the events of the last few hours. 

It had been a hell of a day; June’s passing, which had been on everyone’s mind, had somehow faded in the background momentarily as they faced this new crisis.

Peter thought of Neal, coping with June’s death only to be faced with such trauma in the hours that followed – it was the cruellest of fates and he continued to pray that his best friend would find the strength to overcome this hardship. Cameron had taken Peter aside and confided in him about the mess the intruders had left behind - a mess of such proportions, he wasn't quite sure how they would all recover. 

Lydia Jordan had called and informed the Burkes that she and Sara had managed to get a flight out and that they’d be landing in Newark. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 3:58 New York time and Peter promised someone would be there to meet them. He offered to head out to the airport but El insisted on going and Liam, who was having trouble sitting still, volunteered to tag along. Frankly, Elizabeth was glad for the company. 

At 1:26, according to Peter’s watch, one of the ER nurses came in and informed them that they were finally transferring Neal to the operating theatre. According to the doctors, Neal was stable enough to withstand exploratory surgery and she warned that it would be several hours before they would learn anything more about Neal’s condition.

WCWCWC

The plane was quiet with most of the passengers taking advantage of the late hour to have a quick nap. Sara stared out at the absolute darkness outside; it was a moonless night and the sun wouldn’t be rising for another few hours. She stared down at her hand which was firmly clasped in Lydia’s and the movement caused her friend to look over, seeing tears rolling down Sara’s face.

‘Sara, you have to believe he’ll be okay’ she said quietly.

‘I know... I just need to see him with my own eyes’ Sara replied just as softly.

‘Did I ever tell you that my brother was shot when he was a teenager?’ Lydia said.

This story better damn well have a happy ending Sara thought as she peered into her friend’s eyes.

‘He was downtown with some friends at a bar and there was a drive-by shooting. He was the only one hit’ Lydia continued. ‘Right in the gut... he lost a lot of blood and they managed to get him to the hospital in time. It took a few months but he came through it and now he annoys anyone who will listen with the story and he shows off his damn scar every chance he gets. I swear the story gets more and more harrowing every time he tells it’ she laughed softly.

The story had the desired effect and Sara smiled, a small smile through her tears.

‘You’ll see, Neal will do the same – he’ll pull through and bore us all to tears with the story for the rest of his long life’ Lydia said. 

Sara nodded then turned away, staring out into the darkness once again.

WCWCWC

By 3:15, El and Liam were on the road to New Jersey, with Liam manning the phone in case anything happened while they were away from the hospital. They arrived at the airport in just over 20 minutes – at this hour of the night, traffic was light – and they waited patiently in the arrival lounge for Sara to make her appearance, which she did, right on schedule.

‘Is there any news?’ she asked as she ran towards them with Lydia following close behind.

‘He went into surgery a little over two hours ago’ answered El as she welcomed her friend with a hug.

Sara turned to look at Liam, throwing herself in his arms. ‘Oh, honey!’ she moaned.

‘It’s going to be okay, Mom’ he said as he hugged her tightly.

Sara closed her eyes tight as she held on to her son, who suddenly looked so grown up.

‘Come on’ he said as he put his arm around her and guided her towards the car.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

He’d never realized just how many individuals were involved in carrying out a surgical procedure. There was the obvious head dude – although in this case it was a ‘dudette’. Everyone was referring to her as Dr. Miller and she was a relatively young woman by Neal’s standards. Of course, that was the thing about being in your 50s, everybody seemed too young to be doing the job they were doing... She might have been young but she was a definite go-getter, not afraid to bark orders - and everybody reacted to her instructions without so much as a moment of hesitation.

By her side were a couple of young guys who people kept referring to as ‘Dr. This’ and ‘Dr. That’, most likely surgical residents. Add to that, Dr. Peel (as one of the nurses had just referred to him) – he stood at the head of the operating table alongside another resident, monitoring Neal’s breathing, obviously the anaesthesiologist. Finally, Neal checked out the three nurses who moved around the room, doing various tasks, carrying out orders, the bottom of the food chain in this setting, although like everybody else, Neal knew that nurses were the real heroes in hospitals, the ones who did all the heavy lifting without much of the recognition. 

He could relate to that - he recalled his days at the FBI doing everybody’s bidding for NO PAY. He suddenly flashed back to the Halbridge case, the first one he’d worked on with Sara and how she had gotten to sit back and watch him do all the dirty work while she got to walk away with her hefty commission. He’d been so pissed about that, back when he only saw the hard as nails side of Sara Ellis. Well, everybody knew how that had ended... His musings were interrupted as Dr. Miller spoke again.

‘This guy’s damn lucky that bullet didn’t land any closer to his spine or we would have been going out there to tell his family he’d be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life’

‘Yeah, a definite close call’ echoed one of the residents – Neal thought he looked like he might be the brownnoser of the two.

‘That spleen is going to have to come out’ Miller said again.

Damn it! thought Neal. He’d learned all about the mystery organ and its important function the last time he’d had abdominal surgery – after Craig Williamson had decided to slice into him like a hot knife through butter. He’d lost part of his spleen that time and he waited with anticipation for the surgical team to make that discovery for themselves.

‘Hey, this guy doesn’t have a whole spleen!’ exclaimed the brownnoser.

‘BINGO!’ Neal cried out from above.

‘I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind that’ said Dr. Miller. ‘But, it’s not for us to know – at least not while the patient is out like a light.’

‘It’s bloody cold in here’ a young nurse whispered to one of her colleagues.

Wow, Neal’s hearing was really sharp up here as he floated above everyone – nobody else seemed to have heard.

‘Yeah’ the other nurse whispered back. ‘Get used to it – they always turn down the temperature when there’s been a lot of blood loss in a patient.’

‘He’s cute!’ the first one replied, glancing down at Neal’s face.

‘You better get your head in the game’ admonished the more senior nurse. She paused for a moment ‘... but yeah, he is kinda cute... for a guy his age.’

Awww! Neal hated getting older; he was still as vain as ever and he enjoyed the way heads turned when he walked into a room. Of course right now, he was lying, inert, with a breathing tube down his throat and his hair... well, not his best look.

Suddenly, June was back at his side.

‘Where did you go?’ Neal asked.

‘Just exploring. Come with me, I want to show you something’ she said as she took his hand. 

The next thing Neal knew, he was hovering over another room in the hospital – looked like the surgical waiting room. He could see his loved ones moving around below, patiently waiting for news about his condition.

‘I hate doing this to them’ he said as he looked around at the worried faces.

Peter looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders; he sat with his face in his hands, elbows on his knees. Mozzie sat, his arm draped around the back of the chair, his legs bouncing up and down as they always did when things weren’t going fast enough for his liking. Hope sat with Cameron by her side and suddenly he saw her stand and start to pace. That’s when he noticed she was dressed in scrubs and he flashed back to the gallery, remembering how she’d kneeled over him, talking to him, comforting him and trying to keep him from bleeding out. She’d probably ruined her clothes, poor kid. 

She began to pick up the pace, finally stopping and addressing her uncle Peter.

‘This is taking way too long!’ she said, her voice shaking.

Neal watched as Peter stood to put a comforting arm around his goddaughter. 

‘Honey, it’s going to take a while yet. Why don’t you and Cam go get something to drink at the cafeteria?’ he suggested before Hope cut him off.

‘NO!’ Hope shouted as she pulled out of Peter’s grasp.

Peter stepped away, surprised at the gesture, watching as Hope resumed pacing.

‘This is all my fault’ she blurted out as she stopped, long enough to address the group. ‘He stepped in front of that bullet because of me… so I wouldn’t get hurt.’

‘It’s not your fault, Hope’ Peter said. ‘He only did what any loving dad would do – you weren’t the one pointing a gun at him.’

Neal looked over at June – poor kid, this wasn’t her fault but true to form, Hope was carrying the brunt of the guilt. Sara wasn’t there yet and Neal realized she was probably still somewhere between the hospital and Chicago. She’d be going crazy – he knew he would be if the tables were turned and she was the one lying in an operating room, fighting for her life. 

‘Don’t worry’ June said, reading his mind. ‘When you come to and they see for themselves that you’re going to be all right, everything will fall into place.’

There was a bit of a commotion and the door to the small waiting room opened; Sara and Liam appeared with El close behind.

‘Mom!’ Hope said as she ran into her mother’s arms.

Sara looked like hell, her clothing askew, her hair uncharacteristically disheveled and her face... well she suddenly looked old beyond her years, every single line in her beautiful face accentuated, leaving deep crevices the likes of which Neal had never seen before. It was the face of pain and anguish.

‘It took you so long...’ Hope said, relieved to see her mom.

‘I had to fly into Newark’ Sara answered by way of explanation.

Hope’s attire drew her attention and she was relieved not to have to see her, covered in blood. She’d been briefed on the way over about what had happened and how Hope had been with her dad at the time of the shooting. Details were still sketchy. Hope hadn’t been able to recall much but by the sound of things, she’d been instrumental in keeping her dad alive until help had arrived.

‘Honey, are you all right?’ Sara asked as she held her in her arms.

Hope didn’t know the answer to that question so she just let her mom hold her, letting herself melt into her embrace. What a relief it was to finally have her here.  
‘Mom, I’m so scared. What if...’ she didn’t dare finish the sentence.

‘We can’t think like that’ Sara interrupted.

From above, Neal could see the tears she was trying desperately to hold back for the kids’ sake. 

‘Daddy’s strong, he’s going to pull through’ he heard her say.

Suddenly, Liam was on his feet and he stood between his mom and his sister, putting his arm around both of them. At thirteen, Neal still thought of his son as a little boy, but in this moment, he was behaving like a responsible adult – strong and brave, looking out for the ones he loved, comforting them and giving them strength. 

Neal took in the scene below, hating to see his family and friends so upset. 

‘They love you so much’ June said as she stood by his side.

‘I’m a very lucky man’ he said, mesmerized.

‘They’re lucky too, darling. Lucky to have you in their lives.’

‘You know, the first time Sara walked into my house with the police, I was so angry. I hated her for what she was doing to you. And then, you started to have her over to the house more often and I would cringe every time I saw her come to the door.’

Neal smiled as he recalled the long, tortuous road he and Sara had shared leading to their present circumstance.

‘And when you brought Sara to my birthday party that time, I still had my doubts. I thought she was aloof and distant, not at all the right woman for you. But over time, I could see her start to soften, letting you into her world just like you were letting her into yours. And then I could see you changing, not because she was asking you to but because you wanted to be a better man for her. What more could I want for you than to become the best person you could possibly be? She’s a keeper Neal, but I guess you already figured that out a while back.’

Neal looked fondly at June – he hadn’t expected to see her again and he wasn’t sure quite how this strange encounter was actually happening but he chose to suspend disbelief and just enjoy a few more minutes with his surrogate mom. He knew he’d be regaining consciousness eventually but for now, he was free of pain and he was happy to have June by his side, sharing a few moments together before she left for good.

He blinked and he was suddenly back in the OR, the regular beat of his heart echoing in the quiet room. The two residents were hunched over his body and something was being removed from deep inside his gut and put into a steel utility bowl, taken away by one of the nurses. Ewww, that was disconcerting, thought Neal, although he felt nothing. 

Dr. Miller was still barking orders, directing one of the young men to suction more blood from the open cavity.

‘This is weird’ Neal finally said as he continued to observe from afar. 

‘It is, isn’t it’ agreed June. ‘You know, I could hear all of you around my bed earlier today, talking to me. I heard everything that was being said but I couldn’t move. It was so frustrating. I wanted to reassure all of you that I was fine, I’m at peace.’

Neal looked over at June, her face glowing. 

‘I’m glad’ he said with a loving smile.

‘There’s an awful lot of swelling around his spine’ one of the residents (not the brownnoser, the other one) was saying.

‘That’s going to affect his mobility until the swelling goes down’ said Dr. Miller.

‘This guy must have been born under a lucky star’ said one of the nurses. ‘It looks like he’s going to pull through with a minimum of damage.’

‘Well, he’s still going to have a long road ahead – and he’s going to need to watch out for infections without that spleen of his’ agreed Dr. Miller as she gave the order to start closing him up.

‘Darling, I’ve got to go now’ said June softly. ‘... and so do you. Be happy!’

Neal smiled lovingly at June and nodded. 

And just like that, June Ellington vanished from his sight.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

Sara sat by Neal’s bedside, watching him sleep. Somehow, after being away from him for almost a week, this was enough, at least for now. He had come through the surgery and they were all waiting for news from the surgeon as to his condition. Sara had been given permission to sit with him in the intensive care unit while they waited for the doctor to come in and talk to them. His condition was still considered critical and they didn’t want to move him until he’d come to and he could be upgraded to ‘stable’. 

She ran her hand through her husband’s hair, watching him breathe, in and out, in and out, thankful he was alive and hopeful that he would fully recover from this horrible experience. He looked peaceful despite the huge bandage around his abdomen, the rest of his torso naked under the crisp white sheet. 

To think that just a few hours before, they had been grieving June’s passing. Having such a traumatic event occur on the heels of June’s death seemed so mind boggling and improbable. Now, all Sara wanted was to see Neal’s beautiful blue eyes peeking out from underneath his eyelids and for him to smile that Caffrey smile, letting her know everything would work out fine. But she’d have to wait for that; for now, it was enough to be by his side and to see for herself that he was breathing. 

With life came hope.

‘Mrs. Caffrey’ the nurse said quietly. ‘The doctor is coming down to speak to the family.’

Sara placed a soft kiss on Neal’s forehead ‘I’ll be right back sweetheart’ she whispered, adding wryly, ‘Don’t you go anywhere.’

The rest of the group was still assembled in the waiting room as the sun came up. It was past 7:00 a.m. and everyone looked rough from having spent the night on plastic chairs drinking insipid coffee. They all looked up as Sara walked in, expecting to see the doctor.

‘How is he?’ asked Hope as she ran to her mother’s side.

‘He’s resting’ was all Sara could think to say.

They all turned as they heard the door open once again and their eyes rested on a small woman, dark hair down to her shoulders, dark eyes peering out from under her bangs. She looked like a first year university student – but when she spoke, her voice was confident and reassuring.

‘Mrs. Caffrey?’ she said to the group, waiting for Sara to step forward.

‘I’m Dr. Miller. I led the team that operated on your husband. All in all, it went well. As you know, your husband suffered a gunshot wound to his lower left quadrant. The bullet went straight through his abdomen and out his back and it punctured his spleen, leaving quite a mess behind. He had lost an awful lot of blood when he arrived so we had to stabilize him first. Then, we went in to assess the damage and look at both the entrance and exit wounds. The entrance wound was quite clean – that’s usually the case as the bullet enters the body cleanly. He was very lucky; the damage was limited to his spleen and that’s what was causing the heavy bleeding.’

Everyone listened, engrossed, as she spoke almost as if she were giving them all a biology lesson.

‘We removed his spleen and upon examination we see that your husband has what’s called an accessory spleen. About 30% of people have one and it is smaller than the spleen although it may grow and function as the main spleen with time. We’ll have to monitor his ability to resist infections on his own but he may need additional vaccinations to counter future infections.’ 

She took a deep breath before continuing. ‘The exit wound left more of a mess and your husband’s spinal cord was slightly compromised.’

Sara let out a gasp as the doctor continued. ‘Compromised?’ she repeated.

‘I want to reassure you that the bullet did not damage his spinal cord as such’ Dr. Miller hastened to add. ‘But it came very close and there is quite a bit of swelling just above his first lumbar vertebrae.’

‘What does that mean?’ asked Sara, growing more upset.  
‘It means that until the swelling goes down, Mr. Caffrey will have loss of function in his hips and legs. He may need to use a wheelchair until the swelling comes down completely.’

Sara looked shocked. ‘A wheelchair?’

‘Just until he regains full functioning of his legs.’

‘How long will that take?’ Sara asked – a question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind.

‘It’s difficult to say but I can assure you that the situation is not permanent. There’s been no injury to the vertebrae itself, we were able to ascertain that with one hundred percent certainty’ she explained patiently.

Everyone listened as she continued.

‘So, the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent. Mr. Caffrey will be in hospital for up to a week and if he is well enough, we will monitor him on an out-patient basis after that. For tonight, we’re keeping him in ICU and I’m afraid only one person can visit at a time.’

Sara thanked her as everyone let out a collective sigh. They all stared at each other, everyone processing what the doctor had just said.

‘Look, I think everyone should go home and get some rest’ said Sara, taking charge. ‘I’m going to stay with Neal until they move him out of ICU.’

‘Mom, can we take turns to see him?’ Liam asked.

‘Of course, honey’ she said, touching his hair. ‘Why don’t you go first?’

Sara took Liam by the arm and directed him down the hall to the intensive care unit which held six rooms around a bustling yet surprisingly quiet nursing station. Patients were monitored on a one on one basis and Sara recognized the nurse which had been assigned to Neal’s room.

‘Patsy, this is our son’ she said as she held Liam’s arm.

‘You want to see your dad?’ asked the kind nurse. ‘Come with me’ she said as she led him a few rooms over while Sara waited by the nursing station.

Liam wasn’t sure what to expect; he’d only been in hospital once in his life and it had looked nothing like this. Despite being hooked up to several monitors, his dad looked strangely serene. 

‘Hi Dad. It’s me’ he said quietly as if afraid to wake him. ‘I hope you can hear me. I just wanted you to know that you don’t need to worry about Mom and Hope. I’ll make sure everything’s okay at home until you get better.’

He waited almost as if he expected Neal to answer. It felt strange to be having a one-sided conversation with his dad who wasn’t usually at a loss for words.

‘The nurse at the other hospital gave me back my pebble and I brought it for you’ Liam said tentatively as he pulled it out of his pant pocket. He’d been toying with it in his hand all night as he prayed for his dad to pull through the surgery.

‘Here, I’ll just put it under your pillow for good luck, okay? But don’t lose it; I’m going to need it back if the Rangers make it to the third round of the playoffs.’

He watched his dad’s face – he knew he’d be laughing if he could hear him.

‘So, anyway…. I guess I’d better go. Everybody’s waiting to see you so I’ll talk to you later’ Liam said as he stood to leave.

‘You okay?’ Sara asked as Liam reappeared a few moments later.

Liam nodded as he put his arm around his mom, leading her back to the waiting room. When they returned, Peter was pacing; they’d drawn straws to see who would go in next and he was on deck. He looked up as Liam and Sara returned. She pointed him in the right direction and off he went.

WCWCWC

The ICU was eerily quiet when Peter walked in. He introduced himself and was led to Neal’s room, taking in the sight of his buddy lying motionless on the bed. It was strange to see Neal so inert; he was usually a force to be reckoned with – always in movement, full of plans and ideas. Life had thrown him a curve ball and Peter knew he would find a way to pull through, as he always did. He moved closer to the bed, taking in Neal’s peaceful face, no tension discernible on his forehead. He spotted the one and only chair, pulling it in close to the bed and taking Neal’s hand as he sat.

‘Hey buddy. You gave us quite a scare. You know, I’m getting pretty old for this kind of stuff so if you could hold off on the dramatics, I’d really appreciate it’ he said with a choked laugh.

‘Cam told me what happened at the gallery; I can just imagine what that did to you. But don’t worry, okay? We’ll get everything cleaned up and repainted and it’ll look as good as new. The assholes who did this might think they’ve won but you can’t stop people from creating beautiful art and before you know it, the place will be full of amazing stuff again.’

Peter felt his throat tighten as he realized just how close he’d come to losing his best friend. He got to his feet and looked away, suddenly finding it too painful to see Neal lying there.

‘You know all those times you went undercover and you came back without a scratch – I sort of began to think you were immortal. But you’re not, none of us is and I just... I just want you to know how much I love you, how much you mean to me’ he said, his voice becoming shaky.

‘Look at me, getting all maudlin. Stupid old man...’ he said, forcing himself to look at his partner’s motionless form.

‘You’d be having a good old laugh at me if you could’ Peter added as he gazed down at Neal’s face. He could have sworn he saw the corner of Neal’s mouth curl up in a smile.

‘Just rest, Neal. We’re here for you and you’ll be back on your feet in no time’ he said as he turned to leave.

WCWCWC

‘So, the truth. How are you?’ Sara asked as she sat in a corner of the waiting room with Hope by her side.

Hope looked up at her mom, shaking her head. ‘To tell you the truth Mom, I don’t know. I don’t remember a whole lot – I just remember seeing Daddy lying there and I think I was talking to 911 on the phone but... to be honest, I really don’t remember’ she said, her eyes faraway.

’Everybody says you saved Daddy’s life.’ 

Hope shrugged. ‘I don’t know, maybe... I just... I can’t believe he did that for me. Getting in front of a gun.’

Sara looked at her daughter, a puzzled look on her face.

‘The man with the gun… he was pointing it at me and Dad just kept coming closer and close… he was so brave. He was trying to get between me and the gun and then there was this awful noise’ she said, her hands moving instinctively to cover her ears. ‘I really don’t remember the rest.’ 

Sara rubbed her daughter’s back, lovingly staring into her bright blue eyes and for a moment, she was reminded of Neal again. She was her father’s daughter in so many ways – from her beautiful eyes to her good heart to her immense talent. She was her dad’s pride and joy and Sara knew how proud Neal would be of their daughter’s actions in such trying circumstances.

‘Daddy loves you so much – he’d give up his life for you and Liam’ said Sara.

They looked up to see Peter returning and Hope stood to take her turn by her dad’s bedside, anxious to see him. She had things she needed desperately to let him know.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Hope tiptoed into the ICU room where her dad lay, still unconscious, following his four hour surgery. She took the chair by the bed and slipped her hand into his. She was relieved to see that his face was calm and serene; a far cry from how he’d looked the night before as he’d fought for his life on the floor of the Raphael Gallery. Although any detail was impossible to recall, Hope was intermittently getting flashes of sights and sounds from the previous night; she remembered the look of anguish and pain on her dad’s face, the way his lips moved without making a sound, the feel of the blood warm against her hands as she pushed relentlessly on the open wound. 

‘Dad’ she said softly after having stared at him for a long moment

‘Everybody’s saying that I saved your life... but the truth is you’re the one who saved mine. Standing between me and that gun... it was... crazy but really brave, Dad’ 

She stopped to look at his face, watching for any sign that he could hear her voice.

‘I remember you telling me that being brave meant doing something even though you’re scared, well, you sure put your money where your mouth is’ she said with a small smile

‘That guy was really scary, well his gun was anyway and I totally froze but you... you just kept coming towards me, protecting me, keeping me out of harm’s way. Now look at you...’ she said as she began to cry softly

‘I couldn’t stand it if you didn’t pull through. Please Daddy, promise me you’ll get better, promise me it’ll be like before. I’m getting ready to leave for university in a few months and... I just couldn’t live with myself...’ she trailed off as her eyes went to his face

‘Anyway, Mom wants to come and sit with you so I’ll be back later’ she said as she bent down to place a small kiss on his cheek.

‘Thanks Daddy’ she whispered ‘I love you’

She turned to leave and didn’t see her dad’s smile or his eyes as they briefly peeked out from his closed eyelids.

WCWCWC

Sara sat alone with Cameron in the waiting room. She’d managed to convince everyone else to go home and get some rest and the two of them waited patiently for Hope to come back from her visit to the ICU. Sara really liked Cam and she’d learned to trust him since he’d come into their lives - not only was he a reliable and hardworking employee, he was a loving boyfriend to their daughter and he’d become a member of their extended family. Liam seemed to like him a lot and Sara thought he was a wonderful role model for the young teen as he struggled with coming into his own.

‘Were you there last night?’ Sara asked quietly

‘They called me from Hope’s phone and I got there just after the ambulance left’ he answered ‘I guess I was the last person she’d talked to, so they took a chance on calling me’

‘How was she when you got there?’ Sara asked

She was worried about Hope coming out of this experience with a lot of emotional baggage. Being held at gunpoint and watching your dad bleeding at your feet was more drama than anyone could bear and she was concerned that Hope might need help to cope with the aftermath. Cameron looked squarely at Sara, gauging how much of the ugly truth she could handle. He decided to go for the whole enchilada; after all, just like him, Sara was just concerned for her daughter’s wellbeing.

‘First off, the gallery had been ransacked and I can only imagine how Mr. Caffrey felt when he saw the mess that was left behind and then to have one of the guys still lurking with a gun...’

Sara listened intently as her heart broke at the thought that Neal’s beloved gallery had been totally destroyed.

‘Mr. Burke and I chatted and we want to get it all fixed up before Mr. Caffrey gets out of hospital. Nobody should have to see that’ he said, looking self-conscious

Sara smiled at the realization that they had such good friends watching over them in their time of need.

‘What about Hope?’ she asked

‘When I got there, the police was with her and they were just coming back from cleaning her up a little in the gallery’s washroom’ he answered

Sara had seen Hope covered in blood and wondered what the hell they’d cleaned up – she’d looked horrible from the moment Sara had laid eyes on her in the middle of the night.

‘You know, her hands... the police told me that she’d followed the advice of the 911 attendant to the letter and that she had her hands... well, she was right in there working on keeping the bleeding from getting worse when the paramedics got there’

‘Oh my God, I was afraid of that. This is going to haunt her for a long time’ said Sara, shaking her head in desperation at the thought of her beautiful daughter having to face such a horrible situation.

‘They said they had trouble pulling her away from her dad, she didn’t want to let go. I guess she was afraid he might die if she stopped pressing on his injury’

‘That sounds like Hope – once she gets something in her head...’ said Sara as she stared off into the distance

‘By the time I got there, she was... well, almost catatonic. Looking at me but not seeing me, a little disconnected from the reality around her’ he added

‘I can imagine’ said Sara, although no one could truly know how another human being would process such trauma

‘I just took her by the shoulders and pointed her in the direction of the car and I called Mr. Burke. I’m sorry but I didn’t have your cell number in my phone and Hope was in no fit state to tell me how to get in touch with you’ he said, suddenly feeling guilty for not having called Sara first

Sara touched his hand ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m here now, that’s all that counts’

WCWCWC

Hope had just walked through the large double doors of the intensive care unit on the way back to join Cameron when she spotted a young man hovering right by the door. Her arrival seemed to be of interest to him and he looked up, his large brown eyes suddenly focussed on her.

‘Hope?’ he asked, unsure

She looked up to meet his gaze, his voice so familiar yet she’d never laid eyes on him before and she wondered how she could possibly be recognizing that soothing voice.

‘Yes’ she said, as a little light suddenly went on ‘Colin?’

‘Yeah’ he said, with a smile, obviously relieved that she knew who he was ‘I was just finishing up my shift at the emergency call centre down the street and I thought I’d swing by and check on you... and find out how your dad is’

Hope let out a sigh as she laughed. ‘You came all the way here...’ she began

‘Like I said, it’s not far and after a shift, it always takes a while to unwind, anyway’ he said with a warm smile ‘So how are you feeling?’

‘Like I just had an out-of-body experience’ she said, the best way she could think to describe her reaction to the events from the night before

‘I hear that a lot’ Colin answered ‘After a tragedy, people tell us that it was as if they were watching themselves go through the motions ... almost as if they were watching a movie’

‘That’s exactly it!’ Hope said, thankful someone understood how she was feeling ‘I was doing exactly what you were telling me to do but I don’t remember my hands moving... it was like they had a mind of their own’

‘Well, you did a great job. The nurses tell me your dad is going to pull through?’ he asked as he looked into her baby blues which were beginning to tear up for the umpteenth time over the past twelve hours. 

She nodded in response. ‘I think so but, he lost a lot of blood...’

‘Not as much as if you hadn’t been there to help him’ he said, kindly ‘You know, blood loss is the number one reason for death following a gunshot wound. Patients bleeding out before help gets there is the main reason they die. Your dad was very lucky you were there and that you were able to keep him alive’

‘And I was very lucky to have you on the other end of the phone’ she said, her voice shaky

‘Well, I’m really glad I was there for you’ he answered self-consciously

He wasn’t all that much older than Hope herself, in his mid-twenties at best and Hope marvelled at how calm and composed he was as he’d talked her through everything the night before.

‘Can I ask – how long have you been doing this?’ she finally said, curiosity getting the better of her

‘I started six weeks ago’ he answered as she stared in disbelief

‘Six weeks? Really? It sounded like you’d been doing this your whole life’ she responded in admiration

‘Well, you were my first gunshot wound so I’m really happy things are going to work out for your dad’ he said shuffling slightly, obviously embarrassed at the compliment ‘Anyway, I better get home. I live with my grandmother and she always gets worried if I’m late coming home from a shift. I keep telling her, ‘Grandma, I’m safe on the other end of the phone, it’s not like I’m not out there arresting the bad guys myself’ but you know grandmas’ he said

Hope’s mind turned to her grandma June. It seemed like years ago - and not less than twenty four hours before - that she’d said her goodbyes to her.

‘I do know’ she said, thankful that she had many happy memories of her grandma over the years.

‘Good luck’ said Colin as he turned to leave

And just like that, Hope’s (and Neal’s) guardian angel walked out of her life.

WCWCWC

Sara was on her way back to Neal, having entrusted Cameron to take Hope home, when she heard a frantic voice behind her.

‘Sara!’ she heard as she turned to see Lorna and Marion coming towards her

She knew Lorna quite well from many phone calls and several family get-togethers; Marion, on the other hand, she’d only met on a couple of occasions. She looked up to see the Ellington sisters looking flustered and upset.

‘Is it true?’ they asked

Sara frowned for a moment at the question.

‘We called your place to talk to Neal and Mozzie told us what had happened’ said Lorna as she swept in to give Sara a hug

Sara began to cry again, something she had held off doing for the last little while as she made sure everyone else around her was okay – especially the kids. She nodded as she began to sniffle in Lorna’s arms.

‘I’m so sorry’ Sara finally said ‘about not being there when your mom passed away’

Lorna pulled away to look into Sara’s emerald eyes and took her face in her hands.

‘Sara, my mom knew how you felt about her. Don’t give it a second thought’ she answered reassuringly ‘Right now, I’m more concerned about Neal. How is he?’ 

‘He was shot in the stomach. They had to take out his spleen and the bullet came out his back just barely missing his spinal cord’ she said, realizing once again just how lucky Neal had been

‘Oh, my God’ said Marion ‘Look, you tell him to get better. We’re not having our mom’s funeral until he can be there’

Sara nodded ‘Thank you. I know that’ll mean a lot to him. I’m just on my way back to the intensive care unit to be with him. When he wakes up, I’ll make sure to tell him you were here’

‘And let us know when we can visit’ added Lorna, taking Sara’s hand

‘Alright. Thank you for coming’ said Sara as she tore herself away, the magnetic pull of the man she loved pulling her towards him

Nothing much had changed since she’d been by his side earlier. The nurses briefed her and told her that he would be waking up soon and that he might be upset at having the breathing tube – it was always disconcerting to wake disoriented only to find you had an object down your trachea. Patsy explained that if his oxygen was good, they would try to take him off the tube once he got his bearings. It was important for Neal to remain calm when he woke considering all the work that had been done on him.

Sara took her place by his side and waited; it had been over an hour since he’d come out of surgery and the nurses encouraged her to speak to him and help him come out of the anaesthetic as soon as possible.

‘Neal’ she said gently as she took the lone seat beside him ‘I’m back’

Her voice seemed to reach his psyche and she noticed his hand move in hers at the sound of her voice.

‘Honey?’ she said as she stood to better look into his face

It took but a few seconds for his eyes to flutter open, slowly at first then, as he recognized her, his eyes got bigger. He seemed to panic suddenly at the feel of the tube in his throat and his eyes grew even larger, terror setting in as he pleaded with his eyes for Sara to do something. 

‘Patsy!’ Sara called out

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

‘Honey, you really should try to have a nap, you barely slept last night’ Elizabeth said as she sat next to Peter on the couch, cup of tea in hand.

‘I’m waiting for a call back from Jones and Chris Newcombe from NYPD about the break-in’ said Peter, yawning.

‘Well, you can nap while you wait’ said El in her usual El way.

‘No, honey I want to go down to the gallery and check things out for myself. We’ll be seeing Neal later and I want to be able to give him some news’ Peter replied as he stood.

Elizabeth Burke looked at her husband, finally giving in; there was no sense in arguing with him and she should know better than to even try. Neal and Sara were their best friends and what they were going through was a hardship of monumental proportions. She knew that wild horses couldn’t keep Peter from doing anything he possibly could to make things better.

‘All right, fine. I’ll sit and wait for Sara to call back with news’ she said as she placed a peck on his cheek.

‘Call me if you hear anything!’ he admonished.

And with that, Peter Burke took off to check out the damages at his best friend’s cherished gallery and to start the job of making things right.

WCWCWC

Sara stood next to Neal, running her hands through his hair and keeping him still as Patsy removed the cannula from his nose. Neal let out a couple of short coughs as he adjusted to the air flow directly into his lungs. Patsy began to pull away, taking the cart with the breathing apparatus with her as she spoke.

‘Neal’ she said to her very groggy patient. ‘You seem to be breathing fine on your own so I’ll just keep an eye on your oxygen levels for now – I think you could do with one less machine.’

He nodded through his bleary haze; coming out of general anaesthetic was never very pleasant and in Neal’s case, it was usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, something he was most definitely not looking forward to. He looked up at Sara’s smiling face as he continued to connect with the real world once again and take stock of how he was feeling. He felt the tightness of the bandage across his chest and winced at the pain as he tried to move slightly on the bed.

‘Don’t try to move too much Neal’ warned Sara. ‘Do you want an ice chip?’

Neal coughed as he prepared to talk, sending a wave of pain through his abdomen. Suddenly his eyes, which had been opening slowly and fluttering as he came too, opened as big as saucers as a look of sheer terror crossed his face.

‘SARA!’ he shouted, his voice hoarse. ‘I can’t feel my legs!’

WCWCWC

The scene at the gallery seemed even worse in the light of day and Peter began to walk around, stepping over broken frames, glass and other debris and generally taking in the mess left behind by some very cowardly, violent intruders. His buddy, Chris Newcombe from the NYPD, had called and arranged to meet him there in order to give him an update on the investigation. The fact that there had been a shooting and a near fatality had upped the ante for the police department and made it a more high profile case, worthy of investing manpower.

‘We’re checking out the footage from the camera in the alley next door’ he said as he returned to find Peter hunched over a piece of canvas laying on the ground.

‘And there was nothing on the cameras out front?’ Peter asked.

‘No, they most likely used the back alley for their getaway’ he replied. ‘Have you noticed anything obvious missing?’

‘Neal and his daughter Hope were the last to leave that day. But the till was open and empty so I’m assuming anything that was in there was taken; he left in a hurry without making the usual bank deposit’ Peter answered as he continued to take stock of the situation.

‘What about some of the art? We might be able to trace the culprits if they try to fence anything’ suggested Newcombe.

‘I’d have to do a full inventory...’ said Peter as he shook his head in desolation. ‘... but yeah, one of the employees is going to give me hand going over everything. We’ll let you know.’

‘I’m sorry Peter, there’s very little to go on but my guess is this is personal’ said Newcombe as he looked around. ‘Nobody does this just randomly; whoever did this had it in for Caffrey – or for his wife.’

Peter had already figured as much, nobody would take the time to make such a mess if their intention was to simply rob the place; this was a crime of passion, someone was damn mad at Neal or Sara and wanted to get revenge. Peter had brought in Jones and the White Collar unit as well – anyone who had crossed Neal’s path during his crime fighting days might be a suspect and he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.

He thought of Neal, lying in hospital – maybe when he came to he’d be able to give him some sort of description of his attacker. Hope had given him a very cursory depiction but she had never seen the man before and in the state she was in, her sense of observation was certainly not up to par.

Newcombe took his leave, promising to be in touch with any new developments on the case and, once alone, Peter took a deep breath as he began the enormous job of cleaning up the senseless mess.

WCWCWC

Neal’s nurse ran in as she heard him scream from down the hall. She found him agitated, thrashing around on the bed with Sara trying frantically to calm him down. Although she was trying to give him an explanation as to his temporary paralysis, he was having none of it as he reacted to what he thought was the end of his life as he knew it. Patsy ran to his side, injecting something in his IV as he continued to thrash around, in no fit state to hear any logical explanation. Sara stepped aside and the nurse moved in closer to the bed, holding Neal down firmly by the shoulders.

‘Neal’ she said resolutely. ‘Calm down and let me explain this to you.’

It took a few seconds for the medication to kick in and Neal finally stilled under her hands, becoming limp and relaxed, his eyes still wildly going from her face to Sara’s who continued to stand nearby, hand over her mouth, shocked at his extreme reaction. She’d known he would become upset at the news but she’d expected him to come to gradually and she assumed they would have time to explain what the doctor had said about his temporary loss of mobility.

‘You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep moving around like that’ she said sternly as Neal began to focus on her face.

His breathing which had been totally erratic began to calm down as he took in a few long breaths, his wild eyes beginning to droop slightly in reaction to the medication. Patsy let go of his shoulders and stood aside for Sara to move back in and the two of them looked down on Neal who had finally calmed down although Sara could see the terror in his eyes.

‘You are not paralysed’ Patsy said in no uncertain terms.

‘But...’ Neal began weakly.

‘Listen to me. The doctor will be in shortly to explain all this to you. The bullet exited through your back right next to your spinal cord. There’s a lot of swelling there and it’s pressing against your vertebrae but the swelling will come down eventually’ she said, giving him just enough of an explanation to keep him calm.

‘Now, promise me you won’t do that again’ she said firmly about his earlier outburst. ‘You have a lot of healing to do and your stitches aren’t going to hold if you start thrashing around like that.’

Neal nodded, a child being scolded, and looked over at Sara who was beginning to relax at seeing her husband return to a more normal state. Patsy gave Sara a knowing look and stepped away returning to the nurses’ station.

‘Sara…’ Neal said, his speech slightly slurred. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Honey, you need to stay calm’ she said as she looked straight into his eyes which were slightly unfocussed.

He nodded. ‘Okay’ he said.

‘Do you trust me?’ she said.

He nodded again.

‘Then listen to me. I’ll tell you what the doctor told me and then we’ll wait for her and we’ll talk to her together, okay?’ Sara said, exaggerating every syllable. 

Neal stared ahead, eyes bleary, and Sara hoped he was getting all of what she was saying.

‘There’s swelling pushing against your spinal cord and it’s keeping you from feeling or moving your legs. But the swelling will eventually go down and your legs will be just like before’ she explained patiently. 

‘Even—tually’ Neal repeated, his speech slurred; the word seemed too big for his muddled mind.

‘Yes. And when Dr. Miller gets here, we can ask for more details.’ 

They stared at each other for a moment and Sara noted something she hadn’t often seen in Neal Caffrey’s eyes over the years.

‘I’m scared’ Neal finally muttered, his defences down due to the medication.

‘I know, honey, so am I. But you’re alive and you’re going to be all right’ Sara said as she ran her hand through his hair. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Neal.’

Neal looked like a little boy, so vulnerable and defenceless and his eyes began to close, thoroughly exhausted from his little outburst and unable to fight the meds any longer. Sara watched as he gave in, his body mangled and his mind muddled.

‘L-l-love you’ he murmured as he finally gave in and let his eyelids close completely.

‘I love you, Neal’ she replied with a sigh. 

Only then, did Sara give in to the moment, noting her hands were shaking and the tears started rolling down her face.

WCWCWC

‘Oh, sweetie! You have to stay strong for him’ Elizabeth Burke said into the phone.

‘I know but, El... if you’d only seen his face. He was totally devastated. Even if this is only temporary, not having the use of his legs… it’s going to kill him. He hates giving up any control and on top of all that, there’s June’s funeral to think of and...’ said Sara, letting down her defences and crying into the phone.

‘Hey, hey. One thing at a time. Neal is a very strong man and he’ll get through this’ El said.  
‘Do you want me to come down and sit with you for a while?’ 

‘No. It’s fine. Look, the doctor is coming in a few minutes so I need to get back to Neal’ said Sara, wiping her eyes and regaining control.

‘Sara, you’re taking care of everybody else but you need to remember to take care of yourself. You know ‘Cura te ipsum’ and all that. You’re no good to Neal if you don’t rest up’ Elizabeth reminded her best friend.

‘It’s fine, El. I can’t be anywhere else right now – I need to be with him’ Sara said as she prepared to hang up.

‘Call if there’s anything I can do. Peter and I will be by later this afternoon’ El said.

Sara returned to the ICU, noting as she approached her husband’s room, that he was sleeping soundly and thankfully, peacefully. She knew that when he woke up again, all his irrational fears would resurface and she would have to be ready to be the cautiously optimistic one, a role she had not often been called upon to play.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

Neal Caffrey was by all standards an optimistic person, a glass half-full kinda guy. Over his long years of conning, he had considered that personality trait an absolute must. The smile he had plastered on his face all those years had become, for better or for worse, a permanent part of his persona and even now, years after he’d retired from his conman days, that positive outlook on life remained. 

He lay in a bed in the intensive care unit of Bellevue Hospital and reminded himself of that very fact, although at the moment he was finding it very difficult to look on the bright side of things. 

He’d noticed Sara sitting nearby, looking weary, pretending to be interested in a magazine (a gardening magazine of all things, probably the only thing that had been laying about) and he quickly closed his eyes again, returning to his ‘pretend’ nap. He didn’t feel like talking – even to Sara – he just wanted to lie there and lick his wounds in peace. 

He thought of June and the strange dream he’d had as she glided with him around the hospital operating room. She’d felt so real as he’d watched her float away one last time. He suddenly felt a jabbing pain in his abdomen and winced, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a moan, and Sara was on her feet again, hovering over him.

He resisted the urge to open his eyes and Sara finally retreated after a few seconds but not before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. That almost got to him and he just about gave in and opened his eyes but he managed to hold fast, his eyes shut tight as he felt tears form under his closed lids; he hoped she hadn't noticed and sure enough, he finally heard her move away and return to the nearby chair.

‘Temporary paralysis’ Dr. Miller had said when she’d come by earlier.

Neal thought back to the less than satisfactory exchange between them.

‘How long will this last?’ he’d asked, his voice sounding a little too desperate for his taste.

‘Impossible to say’ she’d answered. ‘Your body will heal in its own good time. The younger the body, the faster the healing...’ 

That was a jab if ever there was one, Neal thought. He hated everything about aging; sure there was the whole vanity thing, the crows feet, the greying temples but more than that were all the little tell-tale signs: the creak in his knees when he jogged, the tightness in his back after shovelling, the crick in his neck when he’d attempted that oh-so-pleasant little manoeuvre in bed a week ago. Those were the real signs of aging and he realized that even the great Neal Caffrey wasn’t immune to such mundane things.

His mind returned to June. He’d heard Sara talking with someone earlier about the funeral being postponed until he was well enough to attend. He was glad of that but he’d begun to wonder when he’d be well enough to be mobile. Maybe he’d be walking in a week or so. A guy could hope. Regardless, he had the very important job of giving the eulogy and he didn't want to let anybody down, least of all June who would likely be presiding over the proceedings – her presence always near those she loved. 

‘Temporary paralysis’ he kept repeating to himself. 

Shit, that could be hours, days, weeks or even months. He had a life to live, a gallery to run, children to raise, a wife to make love to – he didn’t have the luxury of months before he got back to his life. Despite his attempt at subterfuge, he let out a loud sigh accompanied by a small whimper and Sara was back at his side once again, hovering.

‘Neal?’ he heard her say.

She knew him too well for him to keep deceiving her and he reluctantly opened his eyes, immediately spotting the look of concern in her eyes.

‘I’m okay’ he answered.

‘Do you need more pain medication?’

‘Huh, considering I can’t feel my legs...’ he began, trying to keep things light.

‘Neal, stop it. This is no time for jokes’ Sara answered, an edge of impatience to her voice.

She knew her husband’s propensity for making light of things using humour; she was definitely not in the mood for his usual deflections.

‘For your abdomen’ she said as she placed her hand softly on his stomach.

Despite his best efforts to remain impassive, he grimaced again and she pulled back immediately. 

‘I’m sorry’ she said, wincing in sympathy.

‘Maybe I am due for another dose’ he relented.

‘I’ll get Patsy’ she said, rising to leave. ‘While you were asleep, she told me they’d be moving you up to one of the regular floors anytime now.’

‘Oh yeah?’ he said, pretending he hadn’t already heard every single word that had been said while he pretended to sleep.

‘I’ll be right back’ Sara said as she smiled and kissed him softly on the lips.

Neal watched as she turned to walk away: he hated ‘compassionate’ Sara, he wanted her to be her normal, acerbic, prickly self. 

That, he knew how to deal with.

WCWCWC

‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Cameron asked as they sat having coffee in the Caffrey kitchen.

‘Cam, I’ve got to face it sooner or later...’ Hope said, a faraway look in her eyes.

‘I’m thinking later might be better’ Cam replied.

‘No! I want to do this. I feel so useless knowing my dad is lying in a hospital bed; it’s the least I can do to help make things right. Anyway, we can’t visit him until they move him to a regular room so I might as well do something while we’re waiting.’ 

They were discussing meeting up with Peter at the gallery and making a start of getting the mess cleaned up. Cameron had enlisted a bunch of his classmates, many of them who’d been in Mr. Caffrey’s French Impressionism class, to start the massive clean-up of the gallery. He knew his girlfriend pretty well and, just like her mom, she was a very stubborn young woman. If she said she wanted to be there, he would have a hell of a time trying to get her to change her mind. He’d been learning how to deal with Hope’s fiery temperament by observing Neal interacting with Sara over the past year and a bit. One of the things he’d learned what that there were certain battles that couldn’t be won with the Caffrey women. Neal had commented on several occasions that Hope was just like her mom in that regard and Cam had been paying careful attention over the past few months as he watched Neal manoeuvre around Sara, cajoling her, making her laugh, teasing her... or just backing off when the situation warranted it.

Hope and Cameron had come home from the hospital early in the morning and Cam had stayed over on the hide-a-bed in the family room – mostly out of respect for Neal and Sara. Although Cam and Hope had embarked on a very active sex life, they were still role models for Liam and on the few occasions Cameron Armstrong had slept over, the Caffreys had insisted he sleep downstairs in the family room. He was happy to respect those wishes. Of course, Hope had snuck down to get something to eat at some point during the night and she’d somehow ended up by his side on the hide-a-bed, but technically, they felt they had respected her parents’ wishes.

‘What are you guys talking about?’ came Liam’s sleepy voice as he came down the stairs.

‘Some of us are going to get started on cleaning up the gallery this afternoon’ Cameron answered.

‘I want to come and help’ Liam said without hesitation.

Hope looked over at Cam with a question mark in her eyes, unsure if that was a good idea.

‘Sure’ said Cam ‘We could use all the help we can get.’

‘Eat, though’ Liam’s big sister admonished. ‘You’ve got to keep your — ‘

‘My sugar levels up’ Liam interrupted. ‘I know, I know.’

WCWCWC

‘Oh, my God! I had no idea it was this bad’ Elizabeth said as she stepped into the gallery and took in the mess that had been left behind.

She walked around taking in the broken glass, the torn canvasses, the fractured frames. She let out a gasp as she neared the back room, spotting the pool of blood on the beautiful hard wood floor.

‘Cam texted me. He says Hope insisted on coming so we need to get this blood cleaned up before she gets here’ Peter said as he carried in the buckets, rags and mop they’d brought from home.

El nodded as she slowly got over the shock. She felt Peter’s hand on her back and she looked away from the floor and into his eyes.

‘Are you sure you’re up to this?’ he asked.

‘Yes... I want to help. Hope never needs to see this again’ El said as she grabbed a bucket and headed for the bathroom at the very back of the gallery.

‘Any news from Sara?’ Peter called out over the running water.

‘They’re moving Neal to a regular room sometime today.’

‘Good, we’ll finally be able to visit. I’m hoping Neal can give me a description of this guy’ Peter said as he got to work.

Elizabeth reappeared with a bucket full of soapy water in her hand.

‘Don’t push him too hard, honey. He’s going to be fragile for a while’ she warned.

‘Neal? Fragile?’ Peter said with a look of skepticism. ‘He’s gonna be angry and frustrated but fragile?’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘If you want to get Neal Caffrey mad, treat him like an invalid. I learned that a long time ago’ Peter said as he began to scrub the bloodied floor.

WCWCWC

‘Mr. Caffrey, we’re going to lift you onto this gurney. Do you think you can help us by using your arms?’ asked the porter as he leaned over Neal.

‘Of course I can help you’ Neal answered, annoyed at the question.

The two men stood on either side of him, preparing to lift him out of the bed in the ICU using the sheet underneath his less than nimble body. Neal could see Sara lingering nearby and wished she wasn’t staring as she was, anxious for the transfer to go off without a hitch.

Within minutes, he found himself in a bright hospital room with the late May sun shining in – west view, he concluded, considering it was almost 6:00. Sara continued to follow close behind, her obvious concern for him driving him absolutely nuts. There was so much to work through and he just wanted a bit of time to himself without her being there, constantly hovering. 

‘Honey’ he said as he prepared to use his silver tongue. ‘You look exhausted. Why don’t you go home and get some rest; the kids and Peter and El said they’d be coming by tonight.’

‘I don’t want to leave you’ she answered, her eyes warm and loving.

‘There’s nothing you can do here. Look, I’m not in any immediate danger’ he said pointing to the nearby nurses station. ‘The nurses are right there, I’ve got my trusty buzzer’ he added, grabbing the nearby contraption and jiggling it playfully.

‘But...’ Sara began.

‘But nothing, Sara. I’ll feel a lot better if I know you’re getting a good night’s sleep’ he said, actually smiling although he wasn’t quite sure how he was managing it.

Sara looked around the room, unsure. She didn’t want to leave his side but she was feeling absolutely done in; still wearing the clothes she’d thrown on in that hotel room in Chicago.

‘Please...’ he begged. ‘Do it for me.’

She let out a long sigh and smiled back at him. Truth was, she could use a shower and finally sleeping in her own bed after almost a week away would be heavenly.

‘All right, all right’ she reluctantly agreed. ‘But I’ll be back first thing in the morning and...’

‘... call if I need anything, I know’ he said, finishing her sentence.

‘Everything’s going to be okay, honey’ she said as she moved in to kiss her husband tenderly.

As much as he wanted to, in that moment, those words were just too hard to believe.

TBX


	26. Chapter 26

Sara Ellis returned home to find the house quiet and empty and a note on the kitchen table informing her that Hope and Liam had headed out with Cameron to join the Burkes at the gallery. She hadn’t seen the mess left behind by the intruders and she didn’t have any inclination to see it either. Thank God for Peter and Elizabeth, once again, friends through thick and thin. She dragged herself up the stairs to her bedroom, pulling off her clothes as she went, eager to stand under the hot shower for however long it took to cleanse away the weariness from her tired bones. Less than twenty-four hours earlier, she’d been in Chicago unaware of Neal’s eventual predicament, let alone June’s passing. So much had happened since then and she felt totally done in. 

She stood under the hot spray wondering how the coming days and weeks would play out. She hadn’t been surprised by Neal’s need to retreat – it was just like him to lick his wounds in private. She just didn’t want him pulling away so completely that she couldn’t reach him and she prayed he would let her in and allow her to comfort him as time went by. Neal was a proud man who didn’t like being doted on and she had to respect that to a certain extent but he was also his own worst enemy at times as he fought to keep his emotions to himself. Losing his mobility – and his independence – even if it was just for a short time, would be extremely difficult for a man like Neal Caffrey. 

She began to think of all the logistics involved in providing support to someone who couldn’t get around: he’d need a wheelchair, that was for sure, and what about sleeping arrangements? The stairs were out of the question; he’d have to sleep down in the family room. What about the bathroom situation? And what about physical intimacy? Her mind began reeling and she absent-mindedly turned off the shower and grabbed for a nearby towel, willing her brain to stop churning. Maybe his recovery would be a lot more rapid than they anticipated; she needed to stay positive and help him do the same.

She dragged herself to bed, pulling back the duvet and letting herself melt into the mattress. She turned towards her right and snuggled up to Neal’s pillow as if he was there and surprisingly, within seconds, she had found blissful sleep.

WCWCWC

By five o’clock that afternoon, the Burke seven had made incredible progress in cleaning up the mess at the Raphael Gallery. Bags and bags of garbage had been hauled out to the back alley for garbage pick-up and except for the sorry state of the walls, the place looked tidy if not desolate and empty. Cameron had recruited Max and his friend Jennifer to help out and between them, they had managed to collect all the debris.

Cam had feared Hope’s reaction when she first walked into the gallery but he needn’t have worried; she was back to her strong, no-nonsense self and she had gone straight to work cleaning up the mess in the back room. He’d noticed how she’d hesitated as she’d held her favourite student’s ruined painting in her hands but she had snapped back almost immediately and carried on, no doubt buoyed by the need to get the job done for her dad’s sake. Peter had suggested she stay downstairs – there was no need for her to go to the second floor where her own paintings had been savagely destroyed along with Neal’s. He and Liam had taken on that task, working in silence to get the job done.

WCWCWC

Neal slept off and on, grateful for a little time away from Sara’s watchful eye. As much as he loved his wife and shared pretty well everything with her, there were times when he needed to work things out for himself – and this was definitely one of those times. The pain in his gut screamed once again as he moved slightly on the narrow bed and he let out a moan as he tried to find a comfortable position to lie in; it didn’t help that his legs weren’t cooperating in any way. They felt as if they were encased in huge blocks of cement. He tried in vain to move the dead weight once again but all that did was bring on another wave of excruciating pain in his abdomen and he gave up, frustrated. Although he was happy to be alive (glass half-full), his mind wandered to what lay ahead: June’s funeral and the next few days and weeks – or heaven forbid, months.

He thought about the everyday challenges of not having use of his legs – he, a man who was used to being active and always in motion. He tried to imagine going about his business without being able to walk and his mind boggled at the implications. How would he manage at home and at the gallery? The thought of having to use a wheelchair was revolting in his present state of mind and he tried to imagine all the help he might need to function on a day to day basis. Positive Neal sat on his shoulder reminding him that his present circumstance was just temporary but he just flicked him off returning to thoughts of self-pity. He wondered about using the bathroom and he reached ever so awkwardly to write his concern down on the piece of paper on which he’d been jotting his questions. Dr. Miller was supposed to return by the end of the day and he wanted to get some answers to help him prepare for what lay ahead.

He looked up and noticed he wasn’t alone – Hope and Liam lurked in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt what they could see was an intense moment for their dad.

‘Hope! Liam!’ Neal said with a smile – a genuine smile. ‘Come on in!’

‘Hey Dad’ they called out in unison as they stepped into the room.

‘I’m so glad to see you guys’ Neal said as he struggled to sit up.

‘Dad, take it easy. Let me help you’ said Hope as she reached for the electronic button on the side of the bed to help him sit up.

Despite not having to make any physical effort, Neal grimaced as the bed dragged him up, pulling on his fresh stitches.

‘Sorry’ said Hope as he winced.

‘S’okay. I need to sit up a bit’ he eked out, his voice strained.

‘I guess we don’t have to ask how you’re feeling, huh?’ said Liam as he made his way to the other side of the bed.

Neal just gave him a look, eyebrows raised, forced smile.

‘We snuck in a cronut!’ Liam whispered excitedly as he glanced around to see if any of the nurses were around.

‘Lemon maple?’ Neal asked, hopeful.

‘Of course!’ said Liam, knowing full well this was his dad’s favourite. ‘Is there any other flavour?’

Neal laughed out loud, surprising himself. There didn’t seem to be much to be happy about at the moment yet the sight of his kids and his favourite cronut seemed to have momentarily done the trick. 

‘Dad, we spent the afternoon at the gallery and got most of it cleaned up’ said Hope.

‘Oh, honey, you didn’t need to go back there’ Neal said as he imagined his little girl having to face her demons.

‘It was fine. Actually, it felt good to do something positive and try to get the place back to normal’ she said.

‘Oh and Auntie Elizabeth said she’d bring by some colour samples for repainting the walls’ added Liam.

‘Now, that does sound like Auntie Elizabeth’ Neal conceded as he thought of her constant need to make things right.

Neal took a deep breath before continuing. He wanted to explain things to the kids and put a positive spin on the outcome of his injury so they wouldn’t worry needlessly – yet, keeping the fact that he had no sensation or mobility in his legs was not an option.

‘Look, you guys. The doctor said that the bullet grazed my spinal cord and left some swelling there’ he began as the two of them leaned in to listen attentively.

‘It’s caused some pressure on my vertebrae and for now I can’t feel my legs. But, it’s only temporary’ he hastened to add. ‘…only until the swelling comes down, so I don’t want you to worry, okay?’ 

Hope looked at her dad, guilt rising in her chest at what she felt was her part in her dad’s injury, and she swallowed hard. If her dad could manage to remain positive, so could she. She nodded in response wanting to keep things upbeat.

‘And Liam, I found your little gift under my pillow’ Neal said as he opened his hand to reveal the pebble. ‘I know you don’t lend this out to just anybody, so I promise to take good care of it.’

Liam sat on the edge of the bed and Neal reached up to muss his hair, something Liam usually hated. This time, he didn't seem to mind it quite so much. 

‘Now, are you going to hog that cronut or are you going to let me have it?’ Neal asked as he grabbed playfully for the bag in his son’s hand.

WCWCWC

The extended family had decided to take turns visiting so they wouldn’t wear Neal down and by 8:00, Liam and Hope prepared to leave just as Peter and Elizabeth made an entrance. Neal was feeling weary from talking with the kids but he was eager to chat with the Burkes, especially as it related to his newly recovered memory of the face that had put him in this bed. He said goodnight to the kids, each of them pausing to kiss their dad, and sent them on their way asking them to make sure their mom got some sleep and didn’t rush to get there in the morning.

He turned his attention to Peter and Elizabeth, forcing himself to smile – still on auto-pilot.

‘Hey buddy’ said Peter as he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

El stood there with a gorgeous bouquet of spring flowers in her hand and smiled down at Neal. She began to poke around looking for something to put the bouquet in and she disappeared briefly into the bathroom to fill one of the hospital receptacles with water, leaving the men alone.

Neal let out a sigh as he took in the sight of his best friend.

‘I heard you guys had a busy day at the gallery’ he said.

‘Well, just trying to make ourselves useful until you could have visitors’ Peter answered. ‘I guess asking how you’re feeling is a little bit trite, huh?’

Neal shrugged; Peter knew him well and would understand more than anyone else how he was feeling.

‘Neal, don’t try to think too far ahead okay? This whole paralysis thing, it could be over before you know it’ he attempted although he feared Neal’s mind was already spinning at the implications.

‘Or not…’ Neal replied, giving in to the negativity he’d been fighting.

‘You can’t think like that - ’ 

‘Kinda hard not to go there...’ Neal admitted, looking defeated.

‘Look, it’s the end of a long day. The best thing you can do is get a good night’s sleep and try to get your bearings. Things will look brighter in the morning.’

El reappeared with the flowers and placed them by his bedside with a flourish.

‘They’re beautiful’ Neal said. ‘Thanks Elizabeth.’

‘I thought they might brighten up the place’ she answered with a warm smile which did just as much to lift his spirits.

Neal turned his attention back to Peter, suddenly remembering what he’d meant to tell him.

‘Peter, I know the guy who did this. It’s one of those Milville brothers. I looked him right in the eye’ volunteered Neal, excited to be able to contribute to solving the case.

‘Which one?’ Peter asked, remembering the duo all too well.

‘I’m not sure which one but if you bring in mug shots tomorrow, I’ll be able to identify him’ Neal said.

‘Okay. But for tonight, you need to get some sleep. I’ll get to work with NYPD on finding out where the brothers are holed-up and we’ll take it from there’ said Peter as he tapped Neal gently on the shoulder. 

Despite the gentleness of his touch, Neal winced at the pain in his chest and Peter retreated, standing to leave.

‘We’ll be back tomorrow’ he said.

‘Thanks guys. For everything.’ 

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Neal had a restless night in his new digs as he dealt with both the steady pain in his abdomen and the surprising heaviness in his legs. Every time he tried to turn in the bed, he was reminded that his hips and legs did not want to cooperate and he struggled with even the smallest of movements, regretfully having to call for help at every turn. Luckily, he had a urinary catheter for the time being but he was eager to discuss a more dignified option to empty his bladder. He awkwardly grabbed for the pen and paper he’d been keeping by the bed and jotted down this new question. The list was getting long and he hoped he’d be getting satisfactory answers to all his questions when Dr. Miller returned.

After Peter and Elizabeth’s visit the night before, he’d had a short visit from his surgeon as she’d carried out her nightly rounds. Although Neal had bombarded her with questions, she had suggested they wait until the next morning so that Sara could be there to hear details relating to his situation. Neal had reluctantly agreed; he was more than anxious to hear more about what he could expect from the coming days and weeks.

He looked down at the tray of food that had been left for him; except for a few bites of cronut, he hadn’t eaten much of anything since his surgery. His stomach was grumbling but it was also full of butterflies keeping him from finding the food very appetizing. He forced himself to have a few bites of the lukewarm toast – if he was going to get better, he’d have to work at it and even Neal realized that that meant eating something to keep his strength up. 

He thought of Sara – he hadn’t been very considerate of her feelings the night before, pushing her away as he had. But he’d needed some time on his own to come to terms with the reality of his situation and that meant not having to put on a mask and be the man she’d come to expect; the one who took everything in stride and could overcome anything life threw at him. He knew she’d always be there for him as he was for her but there were times in life when one needed to be left alone to work things out – and this was definitely one of those times.

WCWCWC

‘So, how bad is it?’ asked Emily Ellis-Foster from her apartment in Chicago.

Sara sat in her kitchen in White Plains with a cup of coffee, phone to her ear.

‘Well, he’s out of immediate danger, thank God, or should I say thanks to Hope, but his recovery is going to take time and you know Neal – he’s not the most patient guy in the world when it comes to this kind of thing.’ 

‘Did the doctor say how long it would be before the swelling goes down?’ 

Sara ran her finger absent-mindedly around the rim of her cup. ’We’re meeting with her this morning so we should know more but from what she said yesterday, it could take weeks.’

‘Do you need me to come to New York?’ Emily asked.

‘No, no. We’ll be fine. Peter and El are around and the kids are pretty self-sufficient...’ Sara replied, her mind wandering to the days and weeks ahead.

‘And there’s June’s funeral to prepare for but June’s daughters have all that under control. They’re insisting on waiting until Neal is well enough to be there and I know he’ll want to give the eulogy like he promised.’ 

‘Well, call if there’s anything I can do. I can be there in two hours – you do know that, right?’ 

Sara smiled; it was nice to have her sister in her corner once again after all those years apart.

‘Thanks sis. I’ll keep you posted’ she said before hanging up.

She took a deep breath, grabbed her purse and instantly, she was out the door.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth Burke stood at the kitchen island, looking over paint samples. It seemed like such an innocuous thing to be doing when their best friend was lying in a hospital bed, recovering from a life-threatening gunshot wound and facing days and possibly weeks of recuperation. But short of sitting there worrying about Neal, all she could think to do was to get the gallery back on its feet so that he could return to something other than the mess he’d witnessed the last time he’d been there.

‘Hey, honey’ Peter called out as he came down the stairs.

‘Which one do you think for that accent wall upstairs: the ‘violet stone’ or the ‘summer plum’?’ El asked knowing full well the answer she was going to get. 

‘Oh, honey, you’re asking the wrong person’ Peter said as he helped himself to a cup of coffee. ’Why don’t you run it by Hope?’

‘I will...’ Elizabeth said, her voice trailing. ‘Are you headed over to the hospital?’

‘No, I’m meeting with Cameron. He’s rustling up new art pieces from some of the kids at NYU. He knows what Neal likes and he’s going to help me choose some stuff. And then, I’m going out to White Plains. Hope and I are going to go through the studio and pick some of Neal’s stuff and some of her own to bring over to the gallery.’ 

‘Are you stopping by the hospital afterwards?’ she asked.

‘Yeah, do you want to meet up there after lunch? I know the doctor is going to meet with Neal and Sara this morning so Neal might appreciate some company. Plus, I want to bring in those mug shots for him to look at so we can get moving on those arrests.’

El ran her thumb against Peter’s chin and smiled. ‘Take charge Peter Burke’ was back.

WCWCWC

By nine o’clock on Friday morning, Sara Ellis was at Bellevue Hospital by her husband’s side, determined not to dote on him. She knew how much he hated her hovering and although it was hard to control at times, she was bound and determined to try to give him the space he needed. She sat, leafing mindlessly through a magazine, while Neal sat up in bed making notes for June’s eulogy. His face seemed more relaxed than when she’d first walked in an hour before, no doubt due to the fact that the pain meds the nurse had given him had finally kicked in. Sitting there, jotting things down on a pad she’d brought for him, he looked just as he did on any other day, focussed and calm, and she hoped he would remain that way after Dr. Miller’s visit.

They had shared their lists of questions which were surprisingly similar – questions about day to day care, bodily functions and other issues anyone who is able-bodied didn’t need to give a second thought to. Neal put down his pen and pad and let his head drop back on his pillow, looking done in. After what he’d been through, every little effort seemed to be taking an awful lot out of him.

‘You okay?’ Sara asked as she put down her magazine and stood by the bed.

Neal opened his eyes and forced himself to smile up at his wife.

‘Fine’ he said as he put out his arm, inviting her to hop on the bed alongside him.

They lay for a moment in comfortable silence, their bodies pressed against one another as they sought comfort in each other’s presence.

Sara let her hand gently linger the edge of the bandage on his chest. ’We’ll get through this, Neal’ she said, her voice quiet.

‘I know.’

‘And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.’

‘That’s good’ Neal replied, feeling a lump in his throat.

The tender moment was interrupted by Dr. Miller’s arrival. Fortunately, she was alone this time – not like the night before when she’d dropped in with six medical students in tow. Neal was finding it difficult enough to formulate his questions without having to do it in front of an audience of eager wannabe doctors.

‘Good morning!’ she chimed as Sara jumped off the bed, seemingly uncomfortable at having been caught in a clinch with her husband.

‘Don’t worry about it’ Dr. Miller said. ‘We encourage anything that’ll help our patients heal as quickly as possible, cuddling is right up there at the top of the list.’

Sara took the chair next to the bed and sat up expectantly as they prepared to hear what Dr. Miller had to say.

‘How’s the pain this morning, Mr. Caffrey?’ she asked as she looked over Neal’s chart.

‘Manageable’ he answered. ‘I start looking forward to the next round of meds right around the time they start to fade...’

‘Well, not only is your body recuperating from what we’ve done to it on the inside, you’ve got an entrance and an exit wound that need to heal as well. Give yourself plenty of time.’

Neal nodded although waiting was not something he did very well.

‘So, I know you have a lot of questions’ she continued. ‘But I want to warn you not to get too far ahead of yourself’ she warned.

‘How long will I have to stay in the hospital?’ Neal asked. His first order of business was to get home as soon as possible.

‘That depends on how fast you’re healing – I would give it a good three to four days before we even start discussing that’ she replied. ‘We want to make sure you don’t develop any infections. Without your spleen, you’re at a higher risk of infections so we need to keep a close eye on things.’

Neal looked on, disappointed. He couldn’t get out of hospital fast enough even though he was the first to admit he was in no fit state to leave anytime soon.

‘It’s just that my... a close friend of mine passed away and I want... I need to be at the funeral’ he explained.

‘And when is that?’ asked Dr. Miller.

Neal and Sara exchanged looks. She spoke first.

‘Well, they’re willing to wait for Neal to be well enough to attend.’

‘Let’s talk about that in a couple of days, then’ suggested Dr. Miller.

‘What about... everything... I mean, if I don’t have use of my legs, how do I...’ Neal said, having trouble formulating a question.

Dr. Miller put up her hand, interrupting him. ‘I’m afraid you’re getting ahead of yourself. When you’re ready to leave, we’ll see where things are at and we can discuss all the implications of not having the use of your legs - ’

Neal became agitated as he interrupted in turn. ‘Because you don’t think the swelling will go down before I leave the hospital?’

‘I know how difficult it is not knowing but none of us has a crystal ball, Mr. Caffrey. My best guess is that you’re looking at several weeks before you return to having full use of your legs’ she said matter of factly.

‘Several weeks?’ Neal exclaimed, alarmed.

‘Your body has just gone through a major trauma and we’re treating the swelling with medication, but it takes time for the body to recover. I’m afraid you’re going to have to be patient a little while longer.’ 

‘But you’re sure it’s not permanent?’ Neal asked, as he’d asked several times before.

‘There is absolutely nothing to indicate that this is a permanent situation – your spinal cord has not been damaged in any way, it is simply compressed from the pressure of the swelling’ she said authoritatively.

Neal smiled politely; it was not exactly the answer he’d been hoping for. He felt Sara reach over and take his hand in hers.

‘For now, all you can do is rest and let your body recover’ Dr. Miller said. ‘... as difficult as that is. I’ll check in on you again tomorrow and we’ll talk some more then, all right?’ 

Neal and Sara exchanged looks – all their questions seemed premature and the doctor didn’t appear to want to entertain them before the time was right. She exited as quickly as she’d arrived, leaving Neal to drift off once again into a fitful sleep and Sara to return to ‘not hovering’. 

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

The following days flowed seamlessly into one another with Neal sleeping a lot of the time and sporadic visits from his extended family, including members of the Ellington clan. The pain in his abdomen was beginning to recede, ever so slowly, as his wounds began to heal under the watchful eye of the medical team. It was beginning to look like Neal would be released from hospital by the middle of the coming week and June’s funeral was set for the following Saturday, a little over a week following her death. Whenever he was awake, he read or sat making notes for the eulogy, preparing for the ceremony which he was looking forward to as well as dreading in equal measures. The second piece of paper on Neal’s bedside table, next to the many cards and flowers from well-wishers, was the very long list of questions he had for Dr. Miller before his release. Since progress was slow but continuous, she had asked him to hold his questions until the day before he left hospital so he wouldn’t be fretting about things that would never come to pass.

On Sunday morning, Neal met Clive Bessett for the very first time. Clive was a young African-American man of twenty-seven years of age, recently graduated from the physiotherapy program at New York University. Neal liked him immediately - although the young man was quiet and unassuming, he seemed to know when to push and when to back off, something Neal would discover was very beneficial in Clive’s line of work. The first couple of days of physiotherapy consisted of Clive forcibly moving Neal’s legs up and down, bending and straightening his knees and rotating his hips as he lay in his hospital bed. Neal found the whole experience rather humiliating but was taking it all in stride. He knew that if he didn’t keep his leg muscles moving they would become atrophied and he would have a hell of a time when he tried to use them again – something which he hoped would be in the very near future. 

On Tuesday morning, at Neal’s insistence, Dr. Miller agreed to remove his urinary catheter to see how he would manage with bladder control. This had been one of Neal’s pet peeves since his first day in hospital; he hated the indignity of seeing his pee accumulate in the plastic bag and he looked forward to a more dignified way of emptying his bladder. At first, as he lay or sat in bed, Neal made use of a portable urinal, a most inelegant yet useful apparatus. He had begun to regain some sensation in that regard and if he didn’t wait too long to pee, he was able to control the ebb and flow, something Dr. Miller had qualified as a success. He looked forward to using the toilet and the doctor began talking about having him transfer his weight onto his legs long enough for him to stand and be transferred to a wheelchair – which was a step in that direction.

The first time the hideous piece of junk – as Neal would later refer to it – made an appearance in his hospital room, Neal felt totally dejected. From day one, he’d held out hope that he would walk out of the hospital under his own steam but with a mere twenty- four hours remaining before his departure, it was becoming more than obvious that he would need the set of wheels to get around – at least for a little while. Neal resisted the notion for as long as he could but what he wanted even more than to walk out of the hospital was to leave the hospital and at this point, he couldn’t wait to get home to his family and this new version of his life.

WCWCWC

Back in White Plains, unbeknownst to Neal, the first floor of his house was undergoing some subtle transformations under Sara’s watchful eye. The first floor bathroom, which consisted of a toilet and shower stall, had been temporarily equipped with medical aids so that Neal could go about the business of his personal care in safety. Parallel bars were installed on either side of the toilet so he could stand to pee and the stall was equipped with a plastic chair that Neal could sit on in order to shower. 

Sara watched as Liam and Peter came down carrying the bedside table from Neal and Sara’s room and made their way towards the kitchen, lugging the piece of furniture. Neal was notorious for keeping everything but the kitchen sink in his bedside table and she thought it might make the transition easier for him if he could turn and reach out for god knows what he kept in there.

‘Where do you want it?’ asked Peter as Sara made room by the hideaway bed in the family room  
‘Right there’ she said, pointing to the space she’d managed to free up.

They could hear hammering out at the front of the house as the workmen completed the small ramp outside the front door to 4788 Meadowbrook Street. It was a small step up from the front porch into the house but it would be a pain in the ass to navigate and Sara was eager for Neal to have as few obstacles as possible when he finally got home. She knew he’d be impatient to carry on with as little fuss as possible and the last thing he needed was those little frustrations that she knew would drive him right around the bend.

Peter and Liam set the table down by the couch and looked around. Sara had uncluttered the space of all the kids’ things – Hope’s art stuff, Liam’s school stuff, trying to make the space a calm haven for what was to become, for all intents and purposes, their bedroom for the next little while.

Having to sleep in the middle of Caffrey central was not going to be ideal but, for now at least, stairs were out and they would have to make do. 

‘Anything else I can do before I head over to the gallery?’ Peter asked as he looked around.

‘No.... I think that’s it’ Sara said, her voice apprehensive.

Peter walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

‘It’ll be fine, you’ll see’ he said by way of encouragement.

Sara shrugged and gave him a weak smile in response. It was far from fine but there was no way around the present situation and everyone, including Neal, would just have to make the best of it until things went back to normal.

She walked Peter to the door, thanking him again and he manoeuvred himself around the workmen while Sara made her way back to the kitchen, spying Liam making himself a PB&J sandwich.

‘Peanut butter and jam for your birthday lunch, huh?’ she said as she walked over and put an arm around her son.

He was taller than she was now and she wondered in passing when exactly he had surpassed her in height. At thirteen, he was almost as tall as his dad and although he was ‘all Sara’ in his colouring, she could see shades of Neal in his lankiness and the way he carried himself.

‘It’s no big deal, Mom’ he said, licking his fingers. ‘Like I said, I’d rather wait for all of us to be together for my birthday dinner.’ 

‘So, what time is Uncle Mozzie picking you up for the game?’ she asked.

‘Early, he wants to take me out for dinner first’ he replied.

Sara looked at her son with delight; he was turning into a young man before her very eyes and she was proud of his positive, cheery outlook on life, so like his dad’s.

‘Well, I’m headed over to the hospital. Have a good time – Go Rangers!’ she said as she kissed her son goodbye.

WCWCWC

Neal’s brow glistened with sweat as he cursed; when did moving his legs up and down a few times become such a workout, he wondered.

‘Great job, Neal! I think that’s enough for now’ said Clive as he gently placed Neal’s left leg back down on the bed.

‘I can... do more’ Neal said, his breath quick and uneven from the effort he’d just exerted.

If he was going to leave the hospital the next day, he needed to step it up.

‘You’re good’ insisted Clive, bringing the session to an end.

‘SHIT!’ Neal let out as he felt the unfamiliar trickle of pee run down the side of his hip.

‘It’s okay. It happens sometimes when you push yourself’ the physio said as he pulled back the sheet to survey the damage. ‘I’ll send your nurse in. Don’t worry about it; you’re doing great.’

The few minutes Neal waited for the nurse to come and rescue him seemed to last for hours as he lay there exposed in a puddle of urine. 

‘Hey there, Neal!’ Terry finally chirped as she arrived with a flourish.

Over the past week in hospital, he’d had many nurses but she’d been one of his favourites – a no nonsense woman in her late fifties who didn’t suffer fools gladly and knew her job inside and out. 

‘Maybe it was a mistake asking Dr. Miller to let you take my catheter out’ he grumbled grudgingly.

‘No mistake. You just need to get used to that feeling just before you need to go. Accidents happen when you overexert yourself’ she said matter of factly as she began removing the top sheet from the bed.

‘Perfect chance to try your new wheels’ she added as she began to lift his gown and proceed to wash him down there.

Neal cringed as he felt the warm cloth on his genitals and his instinct was to grab the washcloth from her hand and do it himself but Terry just shooed him away.

‘We’re going to practice putting some weight on your legs while you transfer to the chair’ she said as she pressed the call button to summon one of her colleagues.

Neal glanced nervously at the ugly contraption.

‘I know, you hate it already, right?’ said Terry. ‘But you’ll see, she’ll become your friend, eventually. I think you should name her – you know, kill her with kindness’ she said in jest.

Within moments, a second nurse arrived – a younger, prettier one – and Neal grimaced at the humiliation of having a pretty young thing see him in this less than impressive state. Years ago, he would have simply flashed his Caffreyesque smile and totally charmed her but even he couldn’t pull that off with his pee dripping off him as it was.

Terry unceremoniously slipped Neal’s legs off the bed, letting them hang there for a moment. He looked down, feeling dispossessed of his limbs, not feeling his feet and having limited sensation in his hips; suddenly his lower body looked like it belonged to someone else and it was the most perplexing and curious of sensations.

‘Now’ Terry instructed in her no-nonsense way (was that Sara’s voice?) ‘Let us support you while you put some weight on your legs.’

Neal became tense and after years of standing up at whim, without giving it a second thought, the idea of pulling himself to his feet became overwhelming and he hesitated, afraid of not being equal to the task. 

‘Come on’ she insisted. ‘The chair is right there. Just stand for two seconds and we’ll settle you back down in it.’ 

Neal took a deep breath and willed himself to stand, pushing with more strength than he even knew he had. He grunted as he made the effort to stand, his legs shaking but nevertheless able to support his weight as he leaned on Terry and her colleague for support. He let out an audible sigh as he let himself fall into the chair, a small but smug smile on his lips. He was oblivious to the fact that he had a spectator nearby. 

Sara watched in silence from the door to the hospital room. This was Neal, her strong and virile husband yet she felt like she was spying on a total stranger. She covered her mouth to keep a gasp from escaping her lips in response to the spectacle she’d just witnessed. 

It was going to be a long, slow road to recovery and she was suddenly terrified of what lay ahead.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

Neal savoured the last few bites of the pork and Chinese broccoli Sara had brought over from the Full Moon, their local Thai restaurant, and he let out a satisfied sigh.

‘Thanks for that’ he said as he looked over at his wife.

She was still working on hers. 

’You saved me from dried out sole and powdered mashed potatoes’ he added as he pointed to the hospital menu nearby.

‘Anything for you. What time did Dr. Miller say she’d be by?’ she asked.

‘It’s never the same; depends on her surgery schedule’ Neal replied.

He grabbed for his list of questions on the bedside table. Although Sara had been watching him work on the list for the better part of a week, she had refrained from being too nosy. She reached over and grabbed a piece of paper from her purse, taking it out with a flourish.

‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’ she said with a titter.

‘All right, let’s compare notes’ he agreed as he ran his finger down the long list. ‘You first.’

‘Toilet’ she started.

‘Well, now that I’ve finally gotten rid of the catheter, we don’t need to worry about that quite as much. I’ve been practicing getting into the chair, I can almost get to the bathroom by myself’ Neal said rather proudly.

‘Those parallel bars have been installed in the downstairs bathroom so you can hold on to them while you do your thing’ Sara added.

‘Bathing’ Neal countered.

‘Well, you’ll need some help...’ she acknowledged.

Neal just ignored her and returned to his list, lost in thought. 

‘Work’ Sara said.

‘I want to go back as soon as possible...’ Neal began, his voice hopeful.

‘Let’s see what Dr. Miller says, okay?’ she said as she patted his hand.

‘The car...’ he added. 

There was so much to everyday life that was a mystery now that he had to temporarily navigate it in a wheelchair. Sara looked over at her husband; she had no answer to his question for the time being. She hesitated for a moment then pointed to an item on her list.

‘Sex…’ she said, finally.

Neal looked at her, his eyes wide.

‘I didn’t even have that on my list’ he admitted. 

‘And usually, it’s at the top of your list’ Sara countered, hoping to make him laugh.

What she got instead was a faraway look in Neal’s eyes as he obviously pondered the issue. He was having trouble controlling his flow of urine – how could he hope to have sex with his wife in any meaningful way. He seemed to push away the idea as he moved on to the next item on his list.

‘Follow up appointments, pain control, prognosis...’ he said, his voice trailing. ‘The list goes on and on and on.’

Sara put down the piece of paper she’d been holding and sat on the edge of the bed. She could see Neal was feeling overwhelmed; maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. She took Neal’s face in her hands, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

‘Honey, we can do this. Let’s take it one day at a time, okay?’ she said as she stared lovingly into his baby blues.

He kept his eyes focussed on hers, seeing the love and compassion there and hating the thought of her having to act as his caregiver in any way. She leaned in and gave him a warm, lingering kiss – the first meaningful kiss she’d given him since she’d left for the airport that day, ages ago. He felt an unfamiliar stirring, not the usual telltale sign of his body responding to hers but still, a strangely familiar sensation all the same. He wondered if he was having what he thought he was having and his curiosity got the better of him as he let his hand glide down his body to see for himself, feeling the swelling under his hand and smiling in response.

‘Well, maybe, sex...’ he said as he returned the kiss.

‘That’s two for two’ they heard from the doorway as they pulled apart to find Dr. Miller standing there.

‘If I had any doubt you were ready to leave the hospital, it’s all but dissipated now’ she joked.

She put down the clipboard and sat in the chair by the bed. ’You’ve been very patient with all your questions and it’s time I give you the best answers I can.’

Neal took a deep breath before plunging ahead with the multitude of questions which had been running around his brain for the past week.

‘Hum, toilet’ he said.

‘How are you doing without the catheter? Have you been able to anticipate when you need to urinate?’

‘Well, I...’ Neal hesitated. ‘I had an accident at the end of physio today’ he admitted, looking over to see Sara’s reaction. She was cool and collected.

‘That happens and it’ll probably happen again. The sensation isn’t quite like before, is it?’ Dr. Miller asked.

Neal shook his head.

‘So you have to listen carefully to your body and go the bathroom regularly whether you feel the urge or not just so things don’t get out of control. As far as bowel movements, are you fairly regular?’ she asked.

Neal nodded. ‘Yeah, mornings usually’ he said.

‘Well, try to anticipate and give yourself lots of time. You know, Neal, there’s nothing wrong with wearing a liner if you’re worried about accidents’ she offered as he cringed in response.

‘Do I need to keep taking the pain medication?’ he asked moving on to a slightly more comfortable subject.

‘You’ll definitely feel it if you stop now; your body is still healing and you need the relief if you want to be able to function’ she answered.

‘What about home support?’ Sara asked.

‘Clive can see you at home and he’ll show you exercises you can help Neal with’ she responded, looking at Sara.

She turned to Neal before continuing. ‘I can also get you some support for bathing and other personal care if you’d like.’

‘No’ Sara responded firmly. ‘I can do that.’

Neal looked over at his wife – although he hated the thought of her acting as his caregiver, he was thankful she would be there to help him nonetheless. He reminded himself that there were worse things in life than having a gorgeous redhead bathe him and care for him.

‘What about sex?’ Neal asked. Ever since Sara had given him that spectacular kiss, the notion had been kicking around his brain... and a little lower as well.

‘Well, there’s no counter indication for it but...’ Dr. Miller hesitated, ’...you don’t want to put any undue pressure on yourself to ‘perform’. You might need help to achieve an erection or to maintain one so don’t be surprised if your body doesn’t do what it usually does. The pressure is on your lumbar vertebrae and it’s blocking the usual messages from your brain so some of the stuff that usually turns you on – an image, a smell, a voice – might not be enough to get you going, but with a little direct physical stimulation, you can certainly get an erection. It just might not last as long as you’re used to. Just… don’t be afraid to experiment. I have a feeling you two have a long history together, so just be patient and enjoy each other’s company without putting any pressure on yourselves for conventional intercourse at all costs’ she concluded.

Neal let out a sigh of relief; depending on how long his situation lasted, he hated to think he would have to forego sexual intimacy with Sara. 

‘What about check-ups?’ he asked, moving on.

WCWCWC

Cameron came down the stairs carrying another pile of Neal’s clothes and set about putting them away in one of the many plastic containers Sara had brought in for this very purpose.

‘Do you think that’s enough stuff?’ he asked Hope as she stood nearby doing the same.

‘We can always run up and get him whatever he wants’ she responded. ‘I just want him to have some clothes nearby if he wants to change.’

‘You know your dad, he’ll probably want to come to the gallery first thing tomorrow’ Cameron observed. 

‘Ah, and you know my mom’ she countered. ‘He’ll have to get by her first.’

‘Well, at least the place is looking clean and orderly’ he answered. ‘It is a little empty though.’

‘It’ll take time but I know Dad. He’d rather have a couple dozen quality pieces than six dozen mediocre things. Don’t worry, we’ll build up our stock again’ Hope said with an encouraging smile. ‘So, what time are we meeting Janie Stuart?’ 

‘Seven’ he said, glancing at his watch. ‘We’d better get going; she said she was bringing five paintings with her to the gallery.’

‘That’ll be great. I know Dad really loved her stuff. Does she do consignment?’

‘Yeah, she does’ said Cameron. 

He stopped what he was doing and grabbed Hope by the waist, pulling her in to him. Hope looked up into his eyes. ‘Oh, Cam, I’m so relieved Dad’s coming home!’ 

He started nibbling on her ear, moaning. 

‘Cam. Cam! Come on, we gotta go’ she said, pulling away.

He groaned and followed her out the door.

WCWCWC

Twenty-five minutes after she’d arrived, Dr. Miller had managed to answer, to the best of her ability, most of the questions on both Neal and Sara’s lists. She’d been very generous with her time and cautiously optimistic, reminding Neal that she was looking forward to seeing him at his first check-up the following Tuesday. They were to call his case coordinator if anything of concern came up in the meantime. She wished them both well and left the Caffreys alone, off to continue with her rounds.

‘So… home’ Sara said with a sigh.

‘Yeah, home’ Neal said just as wistfully.

As eager as he was to get on with the next phase of his new life, he knew it would be fraught with uncertainty and new challenges.

WCWCWC

‘What do you think, honey? Stuffed pork or Cornish hens?’ Elizabeth asked as she pored over a recipe book at the kitchen island.

‘Whatever you make, Neal will love it El’ Peter replied from the nearby living room.

Elizabeth kept poking around. ’It’s his first night out of hospital; I want to make it special.’ 

‘Honey, Neal loves your cooking – no matter what it is’ Peter tried again.

‘Oh my God!’ she shouted.

‘What?’ Peter answered, startled.

‘The steps!’ she exclaimed. ‘How are we going to get Neal up the steps.’

Peter got to his feet and stood across from her with a confident grin. 

’We got it covered’ he said. ‘Mozzie and I have it all worked out. We’ll bring him in from the alley and in through the back door. I already talked to the neighbours about letting us cut through their back yard’ Peter said triumphantly.

‘Mr. Morris agreed to let you cut through his back yard?’ Elizabeth asked, surprised.

The curmudgeonly neighbour had been a thorn in their side for as many years as they’d lived in their house but even he had a heart, it seemed.

‘You forget that Mrs. Morris was in a wheelchair for seven years before she died. I just appealed to his compassionate side...’ he said as he made his way to where around the island to where El stood.

He snaked his arms around her waist, smiling a satisfied smile at his ability to negotiate a truce with the horrible man after all these years.

‘... and he was in the army. I just insinuated that... Neal was a ... a war hero’ he admitted as El turned in his arms and gave him a good natured slap on the arm.

‘Why Peter Burke, you lying, conniving son of...’ she began before a smile broke out on her face. ‘Good job, honey!’ 

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

Neal held the phone to his ear, straining to hear Liam’s voice over the roaring crowd in the background.

‘So, how’s the game?’ he asked.

‘Ottawa’s on fire!’ Liam shouted on the other end of the phone. ‘We’re down three goals.’

‘Oh, no!’ Neal replied with a chuckle.

He could hear the excitement in Liam’s voice; his son loved it when he got to go to Madison Square Gardens and watch a hockey game live.

‘Well, tell the Rangers I said to get with the program’ Neal shouted back as Sara looked on with a frown.

Neal gave her the old shoulder shrug. ‘Well, happy birthday buddy! I love you.’ Neal concluded, his voice returning to normal.

‘Thanks for the tickets Dad’ Liam answered before signing off.

Neal gave the phone back to Sara and resumed the sullen look he’d had before he made the call. He hated the fact that he couldn’t share this night with Liam although there was absolutely no way his absence could have been avoided.

‘He understands, you know’ Sara said as she took up her usual spot on the edge of his bed.

‘Maybe he understands but .... I don’t’ Neal said, sounding like a petulant child.

Sara decided it was time to break the sombre mood.

‘Come on, Neal, cheer up. You’re coming home tomorrow’ she reminded him.

She returned to the job of tidying up his hospital room. After a week of visits from friends and family, the gifts and cards had begun to accumulate and there was a lot to pack up for the trip home. She lifted a card from a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers and turned to her husband.

‘You didn’t tell me Lydia and Sam came by’ she said, hoping to get Neal focussed on something more positive.

‘Yeah, yesterday while you were out. They brought Bibi along’ he added as a small smile appeared on his face.

‘How did they ever keep her from running around this place?’ Sara asked, laughing.

‘They didn’t’ Neal conceded. ‘The nurses thought she was the cutest thing. But she did sit for a little while, right here’ he said, pointing to the spot to his right ‘...and I read her a book Lydia brought along.’

‘She sure is something else, isn’t she’ Sara admitted, thinking fondly of their goddaughter.

‘So, what’s the transport situation for tomorrow?’ Neal asked, turning his thoughts to his long-awaited return home.

‘Well, Liam and Hope both want to come so I got them out of school for the morning. By the look of things, I’m going to need both of them to cart all these flowers and gifts out of here...’

‘Why don’t we leave the flowers at the nurses’ station? They deserve it after putting up with me for a whole week’ Neal suggested.

‘Great idea honey’ Sara said in agreement. ‘I thought it might be easier for you to get into the SUV than the car’ she continued, referring to the family’s two vehicles.

Neal nodded his approval.

‘You ready for bed?’ she asked, noticing he looked tuckered out.

‘Yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom first’ he mumbled as Sara pointed to the portable urinal nearby.

‘No’ Neal answered adamantly. ‘Can you see if one of the nurses can give me a hand?’ 

Sara looked at her husband, his false pride firmly in place.

‘Neal, this is our life for the next little while. Let me help you’ she said firmly.

Neal let out a sigh and struggled to sit up, the pain in his stomach flaring up – obviously in need of his next dose of pain medication before he settled in for the night. Sara stood by and waited patiently for him to let her know what she could do to help, holding back from reacting too quickly. She brought the wheelchair closer at Neal’s request and she held one of his arms as he struggled to stand for a few seconds while he positioned himself in front of the chair. 

Although the bathroom was a mere ten feet away, it might as well have been ten miles and Neal was far from being able to manage the trip on his own two legs. He let his weight fall into the chair with a loud thud and snarled at Sara when she tried to push it towards the bathroom. He was determined to roll himself over which he did, to Sara’s regret, arriving in the bathroom with sweat on his brow. Once there, he reluctantly allowed her to help him to his feet and he stood, shaky, holding the bar with one hand and doing his business with the other while Sara turned to give him a modicum of privacy. The return trip was just as tedious and Neal fell into bed exhausted from the outing – exhausted and exasperated.

Sara didn’t have a clue what to say or do to keep his spirits up so she didn’t even try; Neal hated this kind of attention so she just took a moment to say goodnight, reminding him that she would be there bright and early to bring him home.

Neal settled in for his last night in hospital and slept the fitful sleep of the hospitalized one last time.

WCWCWC

The trip home was uneventful, Sara having nixed the kids’ plans to make a big deal of the homecoming. They had wanted to put up a banner and make it a bit of a celebration but, in his present state of mind, Sara knew that Neal would hate that, so things had been kept simple with a nice family lunch before the kids were ordered back to school for the afternoon.

Neal’s favourite armchair was moved to a spot where he could see the goings on in both the kitchen and family room and he could have a sightline to the front door to see any new arrivals. Sara had settled a small table nearby with everything he might need so he didn’t have to ask each time, something Neal seemed to appreciate.

Sara had been off work since the middle of the previous week and she was preparing to ask for more time off despite the fact that Neal had tried to convince her that he would be fine alone during the day. That was an absolute non-starter as far as Sara was concerned – one slip and he could break an arm or a leg or heaven forbid, hit his head – and things would be even worse. She had to find a way to be there without it being perceived as coddling or hovering and she’d finally decided on working from home on her presentations for her mentoring program. If all went well with Neal, she was scheduled to go to Dallas in late June and to Boston in July to present her concept to a couple of large insurance companies that were hoping to set up a similar program. 

Neal napped in the afternoon. Sara pulled open the hide-a-bed – for the next little while the conjugal bed – and she realized that it would have to stay open most of the time so Neal could rest whenever he needed to, still a regular occurrence during the day. He made some noise about going to the gallery but Sara put the kibosh on that rather quickly – Neal had known it was a long shot but worth a try. Sara surprised him by slipping into bed with him and he couldn’t hide his delight at falling asleep with his wife nearby after a much too long hiatus. Raffie joined in, lying at their feet, a comfort Neal had almost forgotten. Although he hated having the dog on their bed upstairs, it was going to be near impossible to keep him from his usual haunt down on the first floor. The pooch found a comfortable spot between Neal and Sara’s feet and settled in, happy to have his master home.

They had deferred the decision as to whether or not to venture out to Brooklyn for dinner until after Neal’s nap and he woke, feeling refreshed, lying on his back while Sara continued to snore softly beside him. He realized that, although his adaptation was by far the more dramatic one, she was also having to put up with a lot of changes in their everyday life and, knowing Sara, a lot of worry as well. He struggled to turn in the bed, moving his lead legs awkwardly as he watched her sleep. Her face was tight and he noticed those tiny lines on her forehead that always appeared whenever she was worried about something. He ran his hand gently down her cheek, pushing away a stray strand of hair to admire her face; Sara’s beautiful face, so full of life. She’d been there through thick and thin and although they might have had a bit more excitement in their lives than the average couple, they’d mostly had a settled life, raising two great kids together. Neal wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. She stirred to his touch and opened her eyes, surprised to see him facing her on the bed.

‘Hey sleepy head’ he said with a gentle smile.

‘Was I drooling again?’ she asked, curious about the look on his face.

He laughed softly. ‘Just a little’ he admitted as he wiped the corner of her mouth.

‘How did you sleep?’ she asked.

‘Fine but... I need to pee and I don’t know if I’ll make it in time’ he admitted, suddenly sensing what was becoming a more familiar tightness in the pit of his stomach.

Sara sprang to her feet to help him and Neal cringed at the mood-breaker he’d just had to pull; so much for a lovely private moment with your wife after ten days apart.

WCWCWC

Neal insisted they go to the Burkes for dinner as planned. He was looking forward to getting out even though he knew he’d be exhausted after the fact. Doing something ‘normal’ had undeniable appeal plus, as much as he loved his wife, her cooking could never compare to Elizabeth Burke’s, a fact Sara would be the first to admit. 

The drive over the bridge went off without a hitch, with Neal cringing at his wife’s driving manoeuvres; as much as he loved the woman, she had to be the worst driver he’d ever met. He hoped in passing that Liam might inherit the Caffrey driving skills because the two women in the family were equal menaces on the road. He was surprised to see Sara drive a few blocks past the Burke home as he finally clued in that the steps up to the house were a definite deterrent to him making it inside to El’s Cornish hens. He gave himself a mental head slap - how come he hadn’t realized it before? There was a time when every little detail of an operation would have come under intense scrutiny. He blamed the meds and watched as she rounded the block, heading for the street directly behind the Burke home.

Peter and Mozzie were waiting in front of a non-descript house on McLaren Street with an elderly man standing nearby.

‘Hey buddy!’ Peter called out as the door to the Santa Fe opened and Neal began to swing his legs out.

‘So, I get the VIP treatment tonight’ Neal joked, trying to make light of the situation.

Mozzie appeared from the back of the vehicle, pushing the wheelchair as Peter supported Neal’s weight and helped him settle in the waiting chair. 

‘Yup, we’re going in the back way tonight’ Peter declared as he made sure Neal was seated safely.

The old man, who was ninety if a day, took a few wobbly steps towards the trio of men as Sara drove off to find a parking spot, the car making a jerking motion as it disappeared down the street.

‘Let me shake your hand’ said old Mr. Miller, his voice shaky.

Neal looked between Peter and the old man, unsure what he was talking about yet knowing he was somehow expected to play along.

‘I want to thank you for your service to our country’ he continued, taking Neal’s hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

Mozzie and Peter exchanged nervous looks as they waited for Neal’s response.

‘Thank you’ Neal said without missing a beat. ‘Just doing my duty as an American.’ 

It seemed that you could take the man out of the con but you could never take the con out of the man.

WCWCWC

Dinner was nice; just the Burkes and the Caffreys reconnecting after too much time apart. Mozzie, as honorary Caffrey, had arranged for a friendly game of Yahtzee, one of the few games he couldn’t easily cheat at, and everyone had a great time just being together, laughter being the order of the day. 

Peter filled Neal in on the investigation; the Milville brothers had been charged and sometime down the line, Neal and Hope would be called on to testify but for now, they were being held based on some footage from a neighbouring gallery which had a camera installed in the alley behind the Raphael.

Neal made plans to visit the gallery the next day and the happy couple drove back to White Plains with the patriarch fitfully snoozing in the front passenger seat, exhausted from his first day home and thankfully oblivious to Sara Ellis’ dubious driving talent as he snored blissfully.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

Thursday morning, Neal woke disoriented in the middle of the family room; it was definitely going to take some getting used to, having to sleep in the nerve centre of their house. 

‘Hi Dad’ Hope called out from a few feet away as she sat in front of a bowl of cereal.

Neal looked up, confused, noticing Sara still sound asleep beside him.

As always these days, his mind turned immediately to his bodily functions – the thought of having a mishap terrified him and he was constantly going back and forth to the bathroom in order to avoid an unfortunate repeat of what had happened at the hospital two days before. He weighed his options: waking Sara or seeking help from his daughter – either way, one thing was for certain, he needed some help to transfer into his chair and to stand up again once he reached the bathroom. He grimaced at the choice before him and swallowed his pride.

‘Honey, do you think you can give me a hand getting into my chair?’ he whispered, somewhat embarrassed. Had he really just called it his chair?

‘Of course’ she said, standing immediately to make her way over to the family room.

By the time she’d reached the chair, Neal’s legs were already over the edge of the bed; he was getting surprisingly good at lifting the dead weight off the bed and manoeuvring himself into a sitting position.

‘Just tell me what I need to do’ Hope added as she stood at the ready.

Sara stirred in the bed, groggy, aware that there was activity next to her and seeing that Neal needed help, she sat up like a shot.

Great, Neal thought, now I’ve involved both of them when all I really want to do is just do this by myself. Who else has to make a public announcement when they have to take a whizz?

‘Sara, it’s fine’ he griped. ‘Just go back to sleep.’ 

Hope brought the contraption over and locked the wheels, ready to assist in any way she could. Her dad put his arm out, instructing her to help support his weight while he struggled to his feet, his legs unsteady. He managed to let himself fall into the chair, rather inelegantly, and before he could decline, Hope had begun to wheel him towards the bathroom at the front of the house.

Ah, the indignity, Neal thought as he swallowed his pride once more.

WCWCWC

Peter walked into the Raphael Gallery and took a satisfied gander at the newly decorated space. Within a week, the team had managed to clean up and redecorate the place and it looked even better than it had on the day it had opened a year earlier. He hoped Neal would like the new colour scheme – personally, he knew nothing about this sort of thing but El and Hope had worked together to come up with the new colours and both women knew Neal Caffrey's tastes pretty well. Peter hoped his partner would be pleased with the results; one way or another, he was about to find out since Neal was scheduled to drop by for a visit sometime during the day. 

Peter put on a smile and made his way to put the ‘open’ sign up in the window and start what he hoped would be a successful day.

WCWCWC

Neal sat in the middle of his house feeling totally useless. Here he was in his own home, on strict orders from his wife to wait for her return before exerting himself and doing anything in the kitchen. He let out an indignant puff of air and wheeled himself over to the kitchen counter to get some coffee on. 

He wanted coffee, damn it, and he should be able to damn well make himself a cup of coffee in his own house, he huffed to himself.

Sara had driven the kids to school after reminding him that Clive was scheduled to pay a visit sometime before noon. Although Clive would be visiting three times a week, Neal needed to work out every day and the young physiotherapist was primed to go through Neal’s regimen with Sara so she could take her husband through his paces on a daily basis. 

Neal cringed at the thought of Sara having to exercise his legs as if he were an invalid; he began to assemble what he needed to put some coffee on, making his way to the refrigerator for the tin of Italian Roast and the container of Half and Half. He turned towards the counter, reaching awkwardly for the empty pot and, with difficulty, he managed to turn his chair around to face the sink and fill it with water, finally retracing his steps to return to the small appliance. Making coffee had never seemed this complicated before and Neal cursed under his breath as he missed the mark, spilling some water on the counter. After a few clumsy attempts, he finally turned on the coffee maker, hearing its familiar gurgling sound and within moments, the wonderful aroma began to permeate the air.

He let out a long sigh of satisfaction; at least, he was still good for something. His confidence had taken a major hit since the shooting and more than anything, he needed to prove to himself that he could carry out such a mundane task as coffee making. He glanced up at the upper kitchen cabinets, realizing the cups were out of reach. No problem, he thought, as he grabbed a solid hold of the arms of his chair, intent on standing for a second, just long enough to grab a couple of coffee mugs. With support from the kitchen counter, Neal managed to get to his feet and in one swift motion he opened the cupboard door, pulling out a mug to place on the counter in front of him. His mission accomplished, he reached back to settle himself down, feeling the chair shift beneath him just as he realized with horror that he’d forgotten to put the brakes on.

The chair moved from under him, its usual support disappearing as Neal lost his footing, feeling himself fall sideways in slow motion, totally unable to avoid an impending tumble onto the kitchen floor. The chair, which he’d managed to clumsily grab a hold of, came plummeting down over top of him as he simultaneously heard the unfortunate sound of the empty mug crashing to the ground and shattering into a million pieces. 

Neal began to get his bearings, realizing what had happened and, as if his ungainly collapse hadn’t been enough humiliation, he suddenly felt a familiar trickle and looked down, noticing he was emptying his bladder on the kitchen floor.

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse... 

WCWCWC

‘You’re here bright and early!’ Sara called out as she stepped out of the car and greeted Clive Bessett.

The young man had just pulled up in front of the house and was busy taking out a few pieces of equipment from the small hatchback he’d driven up in.

‘I’ve got a few appointments today so I thought I’d get Neal settled first thing. You ready for a crash course in physiotherapy?’ he asked.

‘Ready and willing’ answered Sara with a salute as she led the way to the front door.

She was greeted by the wonderful aroma of coffee as she opened the door but before she could register that she shouldn’t be smelling anything at all, she called out to her husband, broadcasting the arrival of their visitor.

‘Neal, we’ve got company!’ she called out as she held the door open for Clive.

Within seconds, she spotted Neal on the kitchen floor, the wheelchair still on top of him as he struggled to push it away.

‘Neal!’ she screamed as she ran to his side.

‘I’m fine, I’m fine!’ he was saying in a pre-emptive attempt at keeping her from freaking out.

His arm had taken the brunt of the fall but as far as he could tell, he wasn’t injured in any way although his pride was taking a mighty tumble. He realized with dismay that Clive was following behind his wife, rushing to his aid as Neal tried to downplay the incident.

‘It was just a stupid accident. I forgot to put the brakes on the chair and I...’ he began sheepishly.

‘Let me check you out before you move’ said Clive calmly as he kneeled by his patient to survey the damage.

Sara stood nearby, her hand covering her mouth as she waited for Clive’s verdict. The young man removed the chair, setting it upright and began to examine Neal, to the older man’s dismay. Neal looked more pissed off than hurt and Sara took some solace in that, hoping that her husband’s pride was the only casualty of this unfortunate incident. 

Within moments, Clive declared that there didn't appear to be any serious injury and he set about getting Neal back in his chair. Sara looked on with concern, wondering what she would have done if Clive hadn’t happened along when he did. Would she have been able to get Neal back up off the floor and into his chair? The thought terrified her. The young man carried out the task of lifting Neal and putting him back in his chair with confidence and aplomb, something Sara knew she would never had been able to do on her own.

Neal sat up in the wheelchair, recuperating from his spill, rubbing his sore arm and unable to make eye contact with his wife. He stared at the front of his pyjama bottoms which were soaked and if his pride had let him, he probably would have burst out crying. Instead, he stared straight ahead, weathering the moment with the tiny shred of dignity he still had left.

She’d been right, dammit, he shouldn’t have tried to carry out the herculean task of making coffee by himself. 

He hated this, absolutely hated it and right now he was angry at the world!

WCWCWC

Neal sulked for most of the day until Sara suggested they take a road trip to Manhattan to visit the gallery. To Sara’s credit, she had refrained from reading him the riot act following his little misadventure but somehow, that had made things even worse. Neal would have preferred to have a good old fashioned, drag ‘em out fight with his fiery wife than to have her be ‘considerate and understanding Sara’, someone he wasn’t sure how to deal with. 

Even in this, she was treating him differently and he absolutely hated that; he goaded her most of the day, hoping to bring out the feisty Sara Ellis he knew and loved – that, at least, he could cope with. But Sara held strong, not wanting to add to Neal’s misery and she swallowed her anger on more than one occasion as she reminded herself of what her husband must be going through. 

They sat in the car, ignoring the elephant in the room and Neal finally piped up, commenting on a less than ideal driving manoeuvre of hers – something he would normally just chalk up to Sara being Sara – finally setting off the fireworks he’d been toying with lighting all day.

‘Neal! That’s enough!’ she shouted, seemingly out of the blue.

He looked at her, noting her face was red, the veins in her neck sticking out as she totally lost it.

‘You’ve been a pain in the ass all day and I’ve had enough!’ she said, her voice loud. 

‘Careful!’ Neal yelled as she almost rear-ended the car in front of them.

Sara clumsily pulled the car over to the side of the road, turning towards her husband, her eyes alight, practically shooting daggers at him.

‘I’m trying Neal. I really am. I know this is horrible for you and I know you hate asking for help but this is the card we’ve been dealt and we’re just going to have to make the best of it’ she spat out, her voice angry and reproachful.

Neal sat, shocked at Sara’s reaction, yet secretly reassured to see the fire in her eyes, something familiar in a sea of unfamiliar goings on. He listened while she spoke, knowing she was right yet too hurt and proud to admit his transgressions. He just turned away, choosing to look out the passenger window, pouting, as Sara took a deep breath and turned back to face the road, putting the car in gear and pulling away. 

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

‘Wow!’ Neal repeated for the third time.

He wheeled himself around the main floor of the gallery, taking in all the new art that had been put up, admiring the choices that had been made in his absence.

‘Where did you guys get these Janie Stuarts?’ he asked as he admired the three paintings from his new favourite artist.

Cameron shrugged. ‘She agreed to let us have them on consignment.’

‘Well done!’ said Neal with a nod and a smile.

Sara watched with interest as Neal magically reverted to his former self; the enthusiasm and self-confidence he usually exuded when he was in the gallery finally back on his face after a few days missing in action. Although she was still pissed off at him for behaving like a spoiled brat, she was glad he was finally finding something to get excited about.

‘Oh, and check this out’ Peter said animatedly as he came closer, turning on his Ipad for Neal to see.

‘This is what the upstairs looks like’ he added, pointing to a number of photographs he’d taken.

Neal smiled, a big, broad, satisfied smile as he took in the images of the upstairs of the gallery and the paintings that had been brought in from their studio at home – several of Hope’s he was particularly fond of and a handful of his.

‘Excellent choices!’ Neal exclaimed.

‘Whose idea was the coral?’ he asked, referring to the colour scheme.

‘Elizabeth and Hope’ Peter responded nervously.

‘I like it!’ Neal said with enthusiasm. 

He let out a long slow breath. The place looked nothing like the last time he’d been there, a little over a week before. He wheeled himself over to the back room, suddenly recalling the sight of Pete Milville standing there, pointing a gun at Hope. He hesitated for a moment as he rolled over the spot where he’d almost bled to death. There were no visible signs of the horrible events of that night; the floors were squeaky clean, the walls freshly painted, the teaching room back to its orderly self. 

He swallowed hard as he wheeled his chair around the huge island where the students worked, wistfully caressing the paintbrushes and sundry art supplies that were laid out. 

Suddenly, the door to the shop flew open, the bell chiming cheerfully as Hope ran in, out of breath.

‘Did I miss it?’ she called out as she ran into the gallery, immediately noticing her parents standing there.

‘Awww! I wanted to see your face when you walked in!’ she exclaimed as she spotted her dad.

He looked up at her bright blue eyes, so full of life. Warmth and love radiated off her as she stared at her father, trying to imagine his reaction when he’d first come in to find the surprise they had all worked so hard at preparing just for him.

‘Why do I have a feeling you had a lot to do with this?’ Neal asked as he wheeled himself over to where she stood, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

‘Do you really really like it?’ 

‘I absolutely, positively love it!’ Neal exclaimed.

Hope pulled away as Sara watched her animated face. She was so much like her dad – so excited at the sight of a beautiful painting or a gorgeous piece of art. Hope began to dance around the gallery, pointing out the merits of this piece and the intricate technique of that piece, just bursting at the seams at showing her dad what they’d decided on and why.

‘Dad, I really wasn’t sure about this one’ she said as she pointed to a more abstract piece from one of Neal’s ex-students.

‘Is that a Joey McLarty?’ Neal asked turning his head to study it sideways.

‘How did you know?’ Cameron asked, impressed with Neal’s attention to detail. 

‘I did teach him for a whole semester; I recognize his style’ Neal fibbed, barely remembering the budding artist who had been in his class over a year ago.

‘Or maybe you read the signature on the painting’ Hope said, ratting him out – she knew all the old Caffrey tricks.

‘Or I might have done that...’ Neal admitted, caught in a fib. 

Everyone giggled, including Sara who was relieved to hear the sound of Neal’s laughter. For a few fleeting moments, he appeared to have forgotten he was a prisoner in his steel chair and he’d reverted to his old exuberant self, enjoying the moment. 

It was late afternoon and Neal insisted on staying on at the gallery for a while and greeting a few of his regular customers. Sara relented, agreeing to go home and get dinner started while Neal lingered for another little while. Cameron promised to drive him home when he got tired and Sara realized that although Neal would be exhausted by bedtime, he’d be in high spirits when he finally hit the sack. 

WCWCWC

‘Why doesn’t what you’re saying match the tone of your voice?’ asked Emily back in Chicago.

‘What do you mean?’ responded Sara as she sat on the couch in the family room with Raffie’s head on her lap.

‘Well, you’re telling me Neal is doing better but you don’t sound happy about it.’ 

‘No... of course, I’m happy he’s doing better, he’s just... well, he’s being very stubborn about letting me help him with anything’ Sara admitted as she ran her hand longingly over the dog’s fur.

‘And you’re surprised because....’ Emily said; she was getting to know her brother-in-law, warts and all.

Sara laughed nervously; of course her sister was right. Neal was just being Neal, strong, independent Neal who hated being doted on or catered to. She just couldn’t stand to see him struggle when, if only he’d let her, she could step in and help make his life so much easier. She thought of Neal as he worked hard to get out of his armchair and into his wheelchair, insisting on wheeling himself to the bathroom where she could hear him stand with great effort in order to use the toilet. After a few moments, she would hear him mutter as he positioned himself back into the wheelchair and made his way back – the simple task taking five times the time it typically took Neal to use the washroom, something he’d done his whole life without giving it a second thought.

‘All day, he was trying to pick a fight with me and I finally blew up and... well I yelled at him’ Sara said, feeling guilty.

‘You’re a safe bet, a sure thing’ said Emily.

‘What do you mean?’ Sara asked, not following.

‘Well, he’s angry and frustrated and he can’t show that to just anybody so he picks on the one person he knows won’t ever turn on him’ Emily explained.

‘You think so?’ 

‘Basic psychology’ answered Emily. ‘Take it from someone who taught eight years old most of her life. They’ll just keep pushing to see if you’ll still love them when they misbehave; looking for that limit.’

‘But Neal’s not an eight year old – ‘ Sara began.

‘No, but it’s the same principle. He’s hurt and he’s angry and there’s only one place he can direct that anger without alienating the whole world.’ 

WCWCWC

Neal’s joy at returning to the gallery seemed short-lived and when he came home, he immediately reverted to his grumpy persona, having to deal with all the inconveniences of his non-functional legs. Sara put him through his paces before bed, following Clive’s instructions and not surprisingly, Neal grumbled all the way through. By ten o’clock, he was exhausted and he and Sara settled in for a second night on the hide-a-bed, away from the comforts of their conjugal bed. Sara sat up reading while Neal fidgeted beside her, unable to find a suitable position to sleep in. Although he couldn’t feel his legs, they were restless and somehow achy and he struggled with lifting the dead weight every time he wanted to move on the bed.

‘How about I rub your legs, like Clive showed me?’ Sara suggested.

Neal glared at her; it seemed like an unnecessary indulgence. His impatience became obvious in his voice as he spoke. 

‘I’m fine’ he muttered.

Sara continued reading although she’d already re-read the same paragraph three times over, a sure sign that she was more preoccupied with Neal’s inability to settle than her literary pursuits.

‘Maybe you’d be more comfortable if you just slept in our bed upstairs’ Neal finally said dismissively.

The moment the words left his lips he regretted having uttered them – but it was too late to take them back, at least in Neal’s estimation.

‘Would you be more comfortable if I slept in our bed?’ Sara asked, surprised by his suggestion.

Neal hesitated for a moment; what he wanted more than anything was to curl up with Sara in his arms as he always did and hold her close as he floated away to a dreamless sleep. But he was still mad at the world and Sara was an easy mark.

‘Yeah, I think it would be best...’ he said, his voice quiet.

Sara looked into his eyes for a brief moment expecting him to change his mind or tell her he was kidding but Neal did neither. He just stared back at her, daring her to... he was wasn’t quite sure what. 

For the second time that day, Sara felt wounded by his dismissive attitude. She sat up on the edge of the bed, collecting a few of her things and stalling, hoping her husband would come to his senses, reach out for her hand, beg her to stay, tell her he needed her by his side... but Neal just continued to fidget and moan, obviously pissed off at the curve ball life had chosen to throw his way.

She stood, setting her pride aside for a brief instant and she bent down and kissed Neal gently on the lips.

‘Call me if you need anything’ she said simply. 

The ball was in his court now and Neal watched, desolate, as his wife walked away, leaving him alone to face his demons.

WCWCWC

Sara lay in bed and wept. Neal was a mere few feet away and she wanted to be with him so badly, it hurt. She tried to remind herself that he was reacting to the circumstances, to his current situation and that it had nothing to do with his feeling for her. She tried... but it was a hard sell in light of the way he’d been behaving towards her. 

She wanted him to know that she was there for him, especially over the coming days. June’s funeral was the day after next and the ceremony would undoubtedly revive the pain and anguish he’d felt at losing her. She needed to find a way to set her feelings aside and be there to support him no matter how much it hurt. 

Neal lay in the middle of the family room, moonlight coming in from the back of the house. How could he have been so awful to Sara, the one person who loved him unconditionally. He knew that she’d forgive him anything but that wasn’t a good enough reason to push her away like that, daring her to love him even when he was acting like a jerk. He was so damn angry at life for what had happened and she was the one person he could direct all that anger at without fear of alienation. 

But even Sara had her limits, the little voice in his head reminded him. And if he pushed too far and too hard, there would be no coming back.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

Mozzie listened intently as he sat across from Neal at the Caffrey kitchen table. He waited a moment, while Neal put down the piece of paper he’d been reading from and after wiping a wayward tear, he replaced his glasses on his nose and looked up at his best friend.

‘It’s perfect, Neal’ he said, his voice quiet.

‘You sure?’ Neal asked, looking apprehensive.

For all the self-confidence and poise he normally had, Neal was suddenly feeling very insecure.

‘It’s perfect!’ Mozzie repeated.

Neal let out a long slow breath. He wanted his eulogy to do June Ellington justice and he’d begun to think he would never find the words to convey his love and admiration for this wonderful woman.

‘I just want to make June proud’ he said, removing his reading glasses and setting them down on the table.

‘You always have’ Mozzie replied. ‘And this time is no exception.’

Neal nodded in thanks – that was exactly what he needed to hear. The funeral was a mere twenty-four hours away and he’d decided that it was time to share his speech with someone – someone who could be brutally honest and who knew June just as well as he did. 

‘So where is all this happening?’ Mozzie asked.

‘Marion and Lorna have arranged for the funeral to be at Riverside Church and then they’re having everyone over to June’s place’ Neal answered.

‘Everyone?’ Mozzie asked.

‘They’re expecting over 200 people at the church’ Neal said.

‘And you’re sure you’re up to this?’ Mozzie asked his friend, knowing full well how difficult the past couple of weeks had been for Neal.

‘Ready or not, I’m doing this Moz’ he responded quietly.

WCWCWC

Sara toiled at her desk, trying to make a small dent in the several hundred e-mails that had accumulated on her work computer. With Mozzie visiting back in White Plains, she’d wanted to take advantage of a few hours of respite to come in to work and check on things. She was knee-deep in a response to one of their more finicky clients when she heard someone stepping into her office.

‘Lydia!’ she said as she rose to greet her friend.

‘Sara, it’s so great to see you’ said the young woman, hugging her boss and mentor.

‘Sam and I have been thinking of Neal non-stop but we didn’t want to intrude’ she said as she took a seat across from Sara’s desk.

‘It’s... it’s a been rough week’ Sara admitted. ‘You know how Neal is, so proud and… well, self-sufficient. Although at the moment, not so much of the latter.’ 

Lydia listened, picking up on Sara’s anguish and wishing she could do something to help her.

‘Do you think he might be up to a little visit from Beatrice?’ she asked, knowing how much her little girl meant to Neal.

Sara’s face lit up at the thought of her goddaughter. 

‘That would be great; I’m sure it would lift his spirits. Tomorrow is June’s funeral so Neal’s particularly preoccupied right now. It would take his mind off things. Do you want to pop in tonight after dinner?’ asked Sara, imagining her husband’s delight at seeing the toddler.

‘Sure, if you think it isn’t too much for him’ Lydia agreed.

Sara smiled, it would do her good to see Bea as well; she hadn’t seen her in a couple of weeks.

‘So, anything new – progress wise?’ Lydia asked, not wanting to pry.

‘He’s... he’s gaining some strength. He’s doing physiotherapy every day to keep his legs strong and I’ve noticed that he can stand for a couple of seconds longer but... he’s been shutting me out, Lydia. We’ve got him set up in the family room and he actually kicked me out of bed and up to our room last night’ she confided sadly.

‘Oh Sara, I’m sorry. But you know Neal, he probably can’t stand the thought of you worrying about him.’

Sara shook her head in desolation. She knew her friend was right but it didn’t make it any easier to be banished from the conjugal bed when you desperately wanted to be there to support the man you loved. All she wanted was to be let in, for him to share how he was feeling but this was Neal Caffrey and she knew better than to expect him to show any vulnerability.

‘Well, he’s not making it easy on me. I know he doesn’t mean to hurt me but... I feel so... so useless and... I just wish he’d let me in and let me be there for him. This morning, he insisted on taking a shower by himself and he slipped off the chair in the shower. I had to go in and help him drag himself back up. You should have seen his face... so... he looked like a lost little puppy’ Sara said, her eyes faraway.

Lydia listened, knowing there was little she could do but listen. Neal and Sara were strong and they were devoted to one another and at some point, Neal would reach out to his wife; Lydia hoped that there wouldn’t be too much collateral damage by the time Neal came to his senses.

WCWCWC

On Friday afternoon, Sara made the long trek back home and then back into Manhattan to drop Neal off at the gallery. His visit from the previous day had done wonders for his disposition and he was excited to go back and put in another couple of hours. The cold war between Sara and Neal had begun to thaw although he was still keeping her at arm’s length. That little episode in the bathroom that morning had been particularly humiliating and Neal had hated having to call on her for help to get up after his slip in the shower. To her credit, she’d made light of it and had allowed him to lick his wounds in private for a few minutes following the incident. But he couldn’t stand the hovering and as soon as Sara got close and showed signs of wanting to comfort him, his instinct was to immediately put up a wall. He was her husband for God’s sake and he hated for her to see him as anything but a strong, virile man, an equal partner and not some needy invalid.

He sat in the car, not saying much of anything as Sara prattled on about some stuff from Sterling Bosch, just trying to fill the silence on the long drive to the Raphael Gallery. Neal knew that Peter would be there and Cam was scheduled to work from dinnertime to closing time. He looked forward to being at the gallery and just soaking in the beauty around him, sharing some camaraderie with Peter and a chat with Cameron who he was learning to appreciate more and more.

Once there, he settled in behind the counter where he usually did some work, cursing the fact that things weren't within easy reach and Peter did his best to cater to him as casually as he could. But this was Neal Caffrey and it wasn’t easy to pull the wool over his eyes. Peter could feel his best friend becoming more and more impatient as the afternoon wore on.

‘Are you ready for tomorrow?’ he asked as the men shared a cup of latte from the café next door.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be’ Neal answered. ‘I ran the eulogy by Mozzie this morning and it passed muster so...’

‘I know it’ll be great. June would be very proud of you – overcoming everything to be there’ Peter said.

‘Where else would I be, Peter? She meant so much to me’ Neal said, his voice getting shaky.

‘She was a wonderful woman, there’s no doubt about that… and she loved you very much’ Peter added.

Neal looked away, becoming emotional. ‘Well, I loved her’ he said simply.

WCWCWC

Sara kept the Jordans’ visit a surprise and she was thrilled when she saw Neal’s face light up at the sight of little Bea. They’d just finished dinner and Neal was fading fast but he welcomed the toddler into his arms, giving her a ride in his chair and listening to her squeal with joy at the new experience. It seemed the ugly contraption was good for something at least. He lay on the bed and threw her up in the air, listening to her giggle that wonderful giggle of hers and he pulled out ‘Goodnight Moon’ from the little bookshelf they kept full of toys and books for her visits, settling in to read to her as both man and child began to fade. 

Sara sat at the kitchen table with Lydia and Sam, sharing a piece of cake and talking about this and that. When she finally looked over to the nearby family room, she spotted Neal and Beatrice, both sound asleep, Neal’s arms cradling the baby with the book still open on the bed beside them.   
‘I wonder which one of the two tuckered the other one out’ she said wistfully.

Lydia and Sam looked at their friend, sensing her anguish and pain.

‘I know we can’t fix this...’ Sam said tentatively. ‘... but if there’s anything we can do...’

‘I think you just did it’ Sara replied as she returned her eyes to the duo sound asleep nearby.

Sara cleaned up after the Jordans left and waited for some kind of sign from Neal that she might be welcome back in bed with him. Sadly, there was none. Neal avoided the subject as he began to settle in for the night. Sara finished putting away the last of the dishes, throwing wayward glances in his direction as she worked, looks Neal chose to ignore. She made her way over, lingering, giving him ample opportunity to say something but he just turned over, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

She waited desperately for that single word – ‘stay’ – but it never came and she kissed her husband goodnight and slowly made her way up the stairs to their lonely bed.

WCWCWC

On Saturday morning, Neal rose feeling energized; it was going to be a long, exhausting day but he felt equal to the task. 

By the time Sara came downstairs, Neal and Hope were sharing a cup of coffee and chatting about the day ahead. They laughed as she stepped off the staircase, having just shared a funny anecdote about June and Sara watched the two of them, co-conspirators in all things and she envied them the effortlessness of their relationship. Neal had always shared a unique and special bond with his little girl – perhaps because they were both artists, perhaps because they both wore their hearts on their sleeves. Conversation always flowed easily between them and Sara was relieved to note there didn’t appear to be any fallout from Hope’s outburst from two weeks before. Whatever had happened between them to heal that wound, she was glad for it and she was thankful that father and daughter had returned to their previous loving relationship - of course, they’d just shared a very traumatic and personal experience and that couldn’t help but draw them even closer.

Neal looked up upon seeing Sara enter the room and for just a second, he was unguarded and she spotted the love in his eyes. He recovered and cleared his throat, looking down at his cup of coffee, unable or unwilling to go there yet. She moved to the kitchen counter to grab a cup of coffee and join her husband and daughter at the table.

‘What time do we have to be at the church?’

‘Probably an hour before – around two’ Neal said. ‘I just want to make sure that I can... get around okay.’

Sara nodded. Whatever he wanted, she was fine with. This was going to be a difficult and very long day and she would be there unconditionally; whatever he needed from her, she would be happy to give.

She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it in hers and she felt him squeeze back. 

It was a start.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

Neal looked down at the grey suit which had been laid out for him on the couch. It had always been June’s favourite and she’d commented on it every time he’d worn it over the years. When he’d moved out of the mansion on Riverside Drive, she’d insisted he take along a number of Byron’s suits and he still wore them regularly although now that he worked at the gallery, he tended to dress more casually. He looked down at the shirt and tie Sara had chosen to match the suit, a perfect choice as always, and he began the tedious task of getting dressed. Putting on clothes with uncooperative legs was a challenge but he was determined to manage on his own and he lifted himself out of the wheelchair and onto the edge of the bed, making it easier to get his clothes on.

Unbeknownst to Neal, Sara stood nearby, at the bottom of the stairs, watching him struggle. It took all she had not to intervene but she resisted the urge, waiting for just the right moment – if indeed the right moment ever came. She watched as he clumsily stepped into his pants, letting them hang off his legs as he reached for the shirt and wriggled into it, buttoning it up expertly as he always did. From her spot at the bottom of the stairs, she heard him grunt as he made the extreme effort to stand for a moment, trying awkwardly to pull up his pants and fasten his belt with one hand as he held onto the edge of the nearby wheelchair to keep himself from falling. 

Sara spotted Hope at the top of the stairs, preparing to descend and she put a finger to her lips, urging her to wait a moment and be still. Neal didn’t need to have spectators until he was properly dressed; it was humiliating enough that he had to dress in the middle of the family room every day without having to worry about people walking in on him. Hope nodded and stood motionless, waiting for her mom to give her the signal that it was safe to come down. 

Sara craned her head around the corner, watching as Neal fell back on the edge of the bed, grabbing for the beautiful vintage tie and clip and suddenly she heard a whimpering sound as he began to cry softly. Whether he was disheartened by the enormity of the task or simply thinking of June, she couldn’t tell but before she knew it, her legs were taking her into the family room and Neal looked up, his eyes filled with tears as she came into sight. He was tired of keeping it together, of being stoic and suddenly it didn’t matter so much that Sara had found him in this vulnerable state. He opened his arms to her as she drew near, taking the spot on the edge of the bed next to him. Without uttering a single word, his face disappeared into the crook of her neck as she drew him close, cradling him against her as he cried softly.

‘I miss her’ he said, his voice unsteady.

‘I know, honey’ Sara said simply as she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair.

She’d missed his loving touch so much over the past couple of weeks and even in his present state of distress, she welcomed the feel of his strong body against hers.

Within seconds, Neal got a hold of himself and looked up at his wife, eyes glistening as he handed her the tie, inviting her to put it on for him. Of all the tasks related to dressing, he could certainly manage to put on a tie by himself but suddenly, he wanted her to do it, wanted to see her eyes as she lovingly placed the apparel around his shirt collar and proceeded to knot it expertly as she’d done on so many occasions. The simple, mundane gesture was so intimate and he suddenly felt close to her again, letting her hands linger for a moment as she fussed to get the knot just right.

‘Thanks’ he said, reverting to a more composed state.

She smiled as she patted the tie, lovingly running her fingers down the length of it.

‘You look very handsome’ she said. ‘June would be proud of you.’

He cleared his throat, the moment passed. If he was going to get through the day with some shred of dignity, he needed to get a hold of his emotions and he reached for the suit jacket nearby and shrugged it on skilfully.

Sara kneeled in front of him, intent on helping him put on his socks and shoes but Neal’s false pride had returned with a vengeance and he promptly shooed her away, assuring her he was fine.

WCWCWC

The Caffrey family arrived at the stately church a few minutes before two o’clock. Sara looked elegant and understated in a beautiful blue dress, looking every bit the matriarch she was fast becoming. Liam wore his one and only suit, looking so grown up, holding his mom’s elbow as they entered the church. Hope and Cam appeared behind them, holding hands, following the cortege with Neal leading the way as he wheeled himself down the long, narrow aisle towards the front of the church.

‘Oh good, you’re early’ said Lorna as she spotted them and met them halfway.

‘I wanted to make sure everything was in place’ Neal said as he looked around the imposing cathedral.

He looked up towards the altar, noticing the short ramp leading up to the pulpit; he wondered if that had always been there or if it had been installed for his benefit. Either way, he was relieved at the thought that he wouldn’t have to struggle to reach the podium when the time came for him to give his eulogy.

‘How are you two doing?’ Neal asked as Marion joined them.

‘Good. Thanks so much for being here, Neal. We couldn’t have done this without you’ Lorna said.

Neal looked away, slightly embarrassed. He was glad to be considered a member of the extended Ellington family, especially today as they all shared their grief and sadness at June’s passing.

‘I wouldn’t have missed it for the world’ he replied.

‘I think Mom would have been happy with the hymns and the readings we chose’ Marion explained. ‘And we have the church’s gospel choir.’

Neal smiled. He knew of June’s love of gospel music and he looked forward to hearing what pieces the sisters had chosen to honour her.

‘Neal!’ he heard as he turned to see a woman walking towards him.

He spotted the nurse who had taken such good care of June at the retirement home. ’Vanessa!’ he called out. 

‘I’m so sorry for your loss... and for... I heard what happened’ she said, looking down at Neal’s chair.

‘Yeah, well. Trouble seems to follow me everywhere I go’ Neal answered in a self-deprecatory tone.

‘Sara, it’s good to see you again’ the young woman said as she acknowledged Sara standing next to Neal.

‘We’ve got a little contingent from Marigold’ she added, pointing towards the back of the church.

Neal glanced over, recognizing a number of faces, among them Mrs. Dixon who was waving madly at him. Neal let out a small chuckle and he wheeled himself over to where she sat, looking particularly small and fragile in the large expansive church.

‘Mrs. Dixon!’ he exclaimed as he got closer, the Caffrey charm firmly in place.

‘Mr. Caffrey. I read about what happened to you in the paper. I’m so sorry’ she said as she reached out to take Neal’s outstretched hand.

Neal gave her a ‘what can you do’ shrug as he brought his lips to her hand.

‘Thank you so much for coming today’ he said as he prepared to rejoin his family.

Within moments, the church began to fill up as Marion, Lorna and Neal greeted the well-wishers one by one, the Ellington sisters introducing Neal to extended family members as they arrived. There were people from June’s bridge club, from her reading circle, from the many charities she was involved in as well as old friends of hers and Byron’s, themselves fragile and elderly.

Neal looked out at the diverse crowd – some young, some old, all colours, shapes and sizes. June had touched so many lives in her long voyage on earth and suddenly Neal felt ill-equipped to pay homage to her, realizing he’d known her for a mere twenty-five years. She’d lived an active, busy life long before he’d ever met her and he was worried his eulogy wouldn’t resonate with everyone in attendance. He shook off the uneasy feeling, realizing that all he could do was his very best to honour this most wonderful woman. 

He spotted Peter and Elizabeth arriving and the Burkes made their way over, paying their respects to June’s daughters, granddaughters and great-grandchildren.

‘You okay buddy?’ Peter asked as he awkwardly leaned in to hug Neal.

Neal nodded. ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ 

A few minutes before the ceremony was set to begin, Neal spotted Mozzie slipping into the pew next to El; as always, feeling the need to be inconspicuous. He gave Neal a mere nod in greeting as he took his place. Neal became aware of some of the members of the White Collar crew sitting nearby, Diana and Christie with their two daughters as well as Clinton with his wife and two boys. June had been instrumental in reaching out to so many and she’d had the wonderful gift of making everyone feel special, no matter who they were.

Neal gazed out with pride at the large crowd – this was a gathering worthy of a woman like June Ellington. Before he knew it, the choir had taken its place at the front of the church and had begun an uplifting hymn as people began to clap along; this was June’s party and she deserved a wonderful send-off. 

WCWCWC

Prayers followed readings, interspersed with beautiful hymns and the funeral began to wind down as the priest looked to the crowd, inviting them to take a seat.

‘Now, I’d like to invite Mr. Neal Caffrey to come up and say a few words about June Ellington’ he announced as everyone took their place.

The church grew quiet as Neal self-consciously began the short trip towards the ramp leading to the pulpit; suddenly it looked a lot steeper than he’d realized and he began to worry that he might not make it up to the podium without breaking a sweat. He hesitated as he got closer and he took a running start at it, making it up a few feet before losing his grip and rolling back down. He took a deep breath, growing flustered. He was just preparing to have another go at it when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He glanced back, immediately noticing it was Liam, at the ready, capably pushing his chair up the ramp and carefully turning him to face the congregation as Neal let out a sigh of relief. Liam put his hand on his dad’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze before disappearing as unobtrusively as he’d appeared, leaving Neal to face the large crowd as he reached for the microphone which had been placed just within his reach.

‘My name is Neal Caffrey’ he began as he looked out at the large crowd ‘...and June Ellington was my friend.’

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

Neal looked around the large cathedral, taking in the countless faces – most of them unknown to him, realizing there were many more mourners than had been expected. A few rows behind Peter and Elizabeth, he spotted Sam and Lydia, who had never even met June – no doubt there to support him as he said goodbye to his beloved friend. He was bowled over once again by the wide-range of ages of those in attendance. June had been involved in so many charities and groups and she’d touched the lives of young and old over the years. He was once again humbled by the fact he'd been asked to deliver the eulogy and he smiled over at Marion and Lorna as he pulled out the few index cards he’d jotted his main points on, just in case he got tongue tied.

Of course, Neal could speak off the cuff better than anyone but these were unusual circumstances for him, his customary self-confidence shaken and his heart in his throat; he hadn’t wanted to take any chances. He adjusted the microphone in front of him and prepared to speak.

‘You know, I began to write this a few days ago and I must have started over at least a dozen times’ he said, his voice strong and clear. ‘I was afraid I could never do justice to a wonderful woman like June Ellington. Unlike many of you, I didn’t have the privilege of knowing June in her early years. I met her twenty-five years ago when she was entering her seventies and I didn’t have the privilege of knowing her as a young woman, a young mother, a wife. But then I realized that the best thing I could do today was to talk about my time with this amazing woman because I realize now that June probably touched all of your lives the very same way she touched mine, with her grace, her kindness and her generosity.’

He stopped for a moment, noting just how very quiet the attendees were; you could have heard the proverbial pin drop in the large church. His eyes went to Sara, who sat looking beautiful and serene as she listened raptly to Neal’s words; she smiled encouragingly and that gave him confidence as he briefly glanced down at his notes and soldiered on.

‘You know one of the most amazing things about June Ellington was her ability to read people. On many occasions, she seemed to know what I needed even before I did. Her insights into people and their motivations were amazing; she cut through the crap, you know, right to the heart of things.’

Neal glanced nervously over to the priest, hoping his colloquialism hadn’t offended him but the older man just smiled at him as Neal carried on.

‘June and I met in the most unorthodox way. I was just getting my life back on track’ he said, rather vaguely. ‘And I was looking for clothes in a thrift shop not very far from here. She happened to come in to donate some of Byron’s suits and we somehow got to talking. June was easy to talk to, she made eye contact effortlessly and she smiled that smile of hers… she was always open to meeting new people.’

Neal looked over at the rapt faces, many of them nodding as he spoke and he realized that many in attendance had had the same experience with June over the years.

‘Anyway, if I had met me that day, I would have been very wary – but not June. Here was this young guy, struggling with building a new life and she didn’t know me from Adam and yet, by the time we’d finished talking, she’d invited me to move into her guest room over on Riverside Drive. She had somehow decided that I was trustworthy, don’t ask me why....’

Laughter could be heard from a few corners of the room – no doubt people who knew of Neal’s past and the circumstances surrounding his meeting with June.

‘But you know, that faith June showed in me that first day… well, it followed me everywhere I went and it made me want to be a better man. Of course, she never asked for anything in return, she didn’t demand that I prove myself to her – she just believed I was worthy of her faith in me and it became so. Years later, when I became a dad, I did a lot of reading on child development and I learned about the principle of the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. It goes like this. If you treat your child with respect and you have faith in their ability to do the right thing, they will usually rise to the occasion. Conversely, if you expect the worse of someone, that’s probably what you’ll get. I realize now, that June was a proponent of that theory; she saw the best in me, even when I wasn’t up to snuff and that’s what kept me striving to become a better person, someone she could be proud of.’

He paused to take a breath, feeling emotion rising in his chest. He wanted to get through this without falling apart, he’d promised her he would and he was intent on keeping his word.

‘In that way, I like to think of June as my surrogate mom, watching over me, giving me advice, gently pointing me in the right direction... I couldn’t tell you how many times June had my back over the years. But she never judged me or chastised me even when I was making a mess of things, which was often in my younger days.’

Neal glanced briefly at Peter who sat there smiling, probably remembering all those shady manoeuvres of Neal’s when he’d first come into his life. Peter had always been amazed to see June’s unwavering faith in Neal, no matter what.

‘She was a constant presence and those years I was lucky enough to share her home were some of the best in my life. But when my wife and I had our baby girl, we knew it was time to make a fresh start and although I could see how heart-broken June was at watching us leave, she did it with grace and love, gently pushing us out of the nest and telling us to fly of our own imperfect wings.’

Again Neal glanced towards his family, noting Hope wiping her eyes and Liam looking on with a gentle smile on his face. June had been such an important part of their lives and he knew that they would both miss her terribly.

‘That could have been the end of my relationship with June but no, she was in for the long haul and as the years passed, she became the grandmother my children needed. She was ‘fun grandma’ as my daughter Hope reminded me just the other day. Her majestic home was just a means to an end and she welcomed our kids, their laughter and their many messes. She loved all her grandkids’ Neal said as he looked over to the large contingent of Ellington progeny, sitting there listening with bated breath.

‘She worried about Cindy doing well in art school, she worried about Samantha’s health; sometimes I’d find her crying as she thought of her girls having moved to other parts of the world. But she saw herself as a launching pad of sorts – she felt that once she’d done her job, she needed to get out of the way, to let go and like everything else she did in life, she let us all leave the nest with her usual grace and dignity.’

He stopped once again, taking a sip of water from the glass nearby and collecting his thoughts.

‘I never met Byron but I feel like I knew him. His presence was all over that house – not in some morbid way, just in a comforting, enduring way.... like the wonderful way I feel when my wife leaves the room and I can still smell her perfume lingering after she’s gone.’

Sara looked up at Neal, her eyes crinkling. He’d never said anything like that to her before and her heart swelled at the notion that he thought of her even when she wasn’t physically there with him.

‘June and Byron were a love story for the ages. He was always in her thoughts. A few years ago, I discovered a note he’d left for her that June hadn’t been aware of. It was tucked away in an old record album that June hadn’t been able to listen to since he’d passed away. The note was a love letter in which he confessed that she’d been the driving force in keeping him honest over the years. I watched her face as she read it, overcome with the realization that he’d done what he’d done for her – even though she’d never asked him for anything. That was June in a nutshell – you wanted to make her proud, you wanted to be that person she saw when she looked at you.’

He stopped and cleared his throat, his eyes moving to the photograph of June which sat nearby.

‘Well, June, I hope you’re proud of all of us today. Your grace and your elegance will linger for years to come, through all of us who loved you. Although we will miss your presence, you will always be among us as we carry on as best we can with our lives, striving to be the best we can be. Thank you for that wonderful legacy.’

Neal stared out at the congregation as he saw many wiping their eyes, noticing Marion and Lorna crying softly. Before he knew it, Liam had returned to make sure he made it down the steep ramp safely and Neal returned to his spot in the church with Sara, reaching out to take his hand.

WCWCWC

There was laughter once again in the big old house on Riverside Drive as the younger children ran in the garden and the adults wandered through the mansion, sharing stories and a few drinks in June’s memory. Many of the mourners had returned home after the service but a good hundred or so had seen fit to continue on to the house for a small reception.

Lorna and Marion stood on either side of Neal, each with a hand on his shoulder as they spoke.

‘You did an amazing job’ said Lorna.

‘We knew you would’ added Marion.

‘Thanks. I was really nervous but I think it went pretty well’ said Neal as he felt himself begin to relax. 

He hadn’t noticed just how anxious he’d been but now that the service was over, he could feel himself begin to unwind as the tension dissipated, thanks in part to the excellent scotch he was sipping. Being in June’s house always had that effect – it was like coming home and the visit would never be complete without a quick trip to his old apartment to linger a few minutes over the mural he had painstakingly painted in Hope’s old room.

‘Look, Neal, if you’re feeling up to it, Mom asked that you be at the reading of the will next week’ said Lorna.

‘Let me know when it is and I’ll be there’ he answered as his eyes began to search the room for Hope.

He found her in the garden playing with little Bea and he motioned for her to come over as the two of them slipped out to the back of the house towards the service elevator. They were complicit in this as in so many other things and they made their way up to the third floor, arriving down the hall from Neal’s old room.

‘You did great at the church, Dad’ said Hope as she walked alongside him.

‘Thanks, sweet pea.’ 

They arrived at the door to Neal’s old loft and he let himself and Hope in, finding the place relatively unchanged: the small couch still in its place, the table with its unmatched chairs, the gorgeous doors leading to the terrace, the old tiger oak bed. Every time he walked in, it felt like he was home again although he loved their home and their life in White Plains. He wheeled himself in, looking around, glancing out onto the terrace covered in bright sunlight. The place vibrated with memories from sitting at the table with Mozzie plotting some ungodly con to endless hours chatting with Peter to the last couple of years, sharing the place with Sara and eventually, Hope.

‘I guess you don’t remember much about living here, huh?’ he asked his daughter.

‘No... I mostly remember visiting.’  
‘When you first started to crawl, you used to drag yourself up and down that runner over there’ he said with a wide grin as he pointed to the carpet that ran along the doors to the terrace. ‘You’d stop at the end and look at me with a worried look on your face like you thought you were going to fall off the end of the earth. Then you’d clap your hands and start to giggle and crawl all the way back to the other end.’

Hope chuckled. Neal sighed and took her hand, leading her into her old bedroom, off the hallway at the back of the apartment. Except for the absence of the furniture which had long ago filled the space, the room had been left just as it had been the day the Caffreys had moved out seventeen years earlier. True to her word, June had left the beautiful mural Neal had painted intact.

‘Dad, it really is beautiful’ Hope said as she stepped back to get the full effect. 

It was indeed a gorgeous piece of art and although she had a replica of it still hanging in her room, there was nothing like standing in front of the original and admiring it in all its splendour.

‘I guess eventually the house will be sold...’ Neal said, longingly. ‘On the day we moved out, Grandma June promised me that, as long as she lived here, that mural would always stay but now… well, I guess the new owners will probably paint over it.’

Hope put a loving hand on her dad’s shoulder and squeezed; she knew how much he hated the thought that his beloved mural would someday disappear.

‘Do you know it took me four months to finish it?’ he said, his voice sad.

Of course she knew; he’d only told her every single time they visited her grandma June’s house.

‘Oh yeah?’ she answered, playing along.

He laughed, catching on to her placation. ‘I guess I mentioned it before huh?’

She grinned back at him. ‘Maybe a few times’ she admitted.

‘Come on. The rest of the family is waiting for us downstairs’ he finally said, taking her hand in his and turning away from his beloved mural.

Perhaps for the very last time.

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

‘Double scotches all around’ Neal called out as the three men settled into a quiet booth in the corner of the pub. 

The reception had ended shortly after seven o’clock and Sara had encouraged Neal to go out and have a quiet drink with Peter and Mozzie before heading home. It had been an exhausting couple of days and she could see he needed time to re-boot and re-energize after the emotional events of the day. He had sent her home with the kids, glad for the opportunity to sit with his two best friends and share a couple of drinks while they told their best June stories. 

Neal managed to pull himself up to his feet long enough to shift his weight onto the edge of the booth, abandoning the dastardly chair by the side of the table. He loved it when he could leave it behind for a few minutes and sit on a normal piece of furniture. Over the past few days, he’d gotten better at shifting his weight and with the pain slowly starting to fade in his chest, movements were becoming a little less cumbersome. He’d begun to get some semblance of sensation in his legs, something he’d been reluctant about admitting even to Sara – just in case it was his imagination. 

‘Aren’t you taking pain medication?’ Peter asked, as he stared down at the drink the waitress had set down in front of his best friend.

‘I skipped the afternoon dose so I could have a drink’ Neal said dismissively as he took a long slow sip from his glass.

He hadn’t had a drink since the shooting and the amber liquid tasted amazing as it passed his taste buds and coated his parched throat. Ever since the accident, Neal felt like he was being treated like a child by both Sara and Peter. He knew they had his best interests at heart but they seemed to be forgetting that he was a middle-aged man, more than capable of making his own decisions. He wondered at times if he should invest in a sign he could wear around his neck that read: ‘Only the legs are out of commission’. 

The place they’d chosen, at Mozzie’s urging, was a quiet little pub not too far from one of his safe houses. He’d confessed that he and June often met there on Wednesday afternoons for gin martinis.

‘Used to sit right over there’ Mozzie said, pointing to a small table by the window. ‘June loved to people watch. We used to make bets with each other about where they were going, who they were meeting...’

‘So, how did you know which one of you was right?’ Peter asked, clueless.

‘Oh, that’s easy. June was always right’ Mozzie answered with assurance.

Neal chuckled at his friend’s response; he was right of course – June had always had terrific instincts when it came to people and their motivations.

‘She had an uncanny knack of sizing people up the moment she laid eyes on them. Look at me…’ Neal boasted. ‘She trusted me from day one despite me confessing that I’d just been released from prison.’

‘What about me?’ Peter chimed in with a frown. ‘She didn’t trust me for the longest time and I was an FBI agent.’

Neal took another sip of his drink and gave Peter a knowing look, eyebrows raised. ‘I rest my case’ he said as Mozzie chuckled. 

‘The only time I ever saw her ‘people radar’ on the fritz was when Byron’s friend, Ford, came to visit’ Neal said wistfully.

‘Well, luckily we had her back that time’ Peter said, recalling the case where the older man had tried to con his way back into June’s life.

‘She was blinded by her memories of Byron – she missed him so much’ Mozzie added, his voice nostalgic.

‘To June’ he added as the trio lifted their glasses in unison.

‘You know, I’ll never forget the first time I walked into the house at 87 Riverside Drive’ Peter recounted. ‘There stood June with that annoying little yapper of hers…’

‘…Bugsy...’ Neal interrupted, batting his eyelashes in that no-it-all way of his.

‘Whatever’ Peter continued, waving him off with his hand as if he were a pesky bug. ‘There she stood with that ugly mutt in her arms and her high heel shoes, all decked out at 7:30 in the morning. When she pointed me up to your place, I thought for sure there had to be some mistake.’

Neal smiled, recalling Peter’s face as he’d walked out onto the terrace that day, incensed to see him having the best coffee money could buy as he relaxed with gorgeous Cindy sitting nearby.

‘But that was before I realized what a charmed life Neal Caffrey lived -’ Peter said, stopping suddenly as he looked over at Neal’s wheelchair, feeling bad about his comment.

Neal saw the look on his best friend’s face. ’It’s okay, Peter. You’re right; I rode on fumes for a really long time…’ he admitted.

He was enjoying the company of his two best friends and nothing was going to ruin the moment, least of all a passing comment by Peter who’d spoken without forethought.

‘Well, June must have recognized a kindred spirit when I knocked on her door because she didn’t hesitate to let me in’ Mozzie said, staring down Peter who was feeling like the odd man out.

‘She was a sneaky board game player though’ Mozzie added. ‘Especially when we played Candyland; I once lost a bottle of Shackleton to her in a high stakes game. She was the only person I ever met whose tells I couldn’t figure out.’

‘As I recall, she donated that bottle of Shackleton to a worthy cause when we tried to duplicate it to draw out Dennis Flynn’ Neal reminded him.

‘June was always a team player’ Mozzie agreed.

‘Yeah, when it was ‘team Neal’’ said Peter looking over at his best friend. ‘She would have done anything for you, buddy.’ 

‘Including help train you so you could break into that place on the Stanzler case’ said Neal, recalling how Peter had briefly played the role of conman.

‘... and you were not an easy person to train’ Mozzie reminded him. ‘You would have made a terrible criminal, Suit.’

‘Well, she did pitch in on a lot of our cases back then – she helped me print those phoney symphony tickets when I was working on the Stradivarius case with Sara...’ Neal recalled. 

‘... and she did lend you Byron’s pool cue when we worked that theft at Yankee Stadium’ Mozzie added.

The trio grew quiet as all the memories of June came flooding back. She had definitely been unique – one in a million.

‘You know what I miss most of all’ said Mozzie as he took a long pull on his drink. ‘Just hanging out with her, having a nice martini, chatting... and she could throw a cock block like no other -’

‘I beg to differ’ Neal interrupted as he recalled how Mozzie had interfered vigorously in his relationship with Sara in the early days. ‘I think that distinction goes to you Moz!’

‘But, one thing’s for sure, she did cover my ass a couple of times...’ Neal added as he stared into space ‘... hell, more than a couple of times. When Sara walked in that day with the police looking for that FAA envelope, I thought June was going to tackle her to the ground to keep her from coming up the stairs…’

He smiled wistfully; he couldn’t believe that the incident he was recalling had happened over twenty years before. Where had the time gone? Neal temporarily shook off the nostalgia and motioned for the waitress to bring over another round. 

June might not have been Irish but she deserved a good old fashioned wake.

WCWCWC

‘I’ll ne’er forget it’ Neal laughed, his speech slurred.

Peter and Mozzie exchanged quizzical looks. They were on their third scotch in just over an hour and were starting to mellow out but Neal seemed to be way drunker than either one of them was. He’d yanked off his jacket, throwing in carelessly on the seat beside him and taken off his tie, not caring that it had slipped off and onto to the floor. Peter had been noticing over the past few minutes that Neal’s movements were becoming increasingly clumsy, his usual poise unaccounted for and his speech messy and slightly incoherent.

‘Neal, are you sure it’s safe to have alcohol with that medication?’ Mozzie asked.

‘I’m tellin’ ya, it’s fine’ Neal said, gesticulating wildly.

‘I really don’t think so, buddy’ Peter said, a little more firmly this time.

‘What do you say we head back to your place and meet up with the ladies?’ he added, trying to make the suggestion sound casual. 

The last thing he wanted to do was upset Neal on a day such as this but one thing was for certain, he couldn’t in all good conscience let him imbibe any more alcohol. Regardless of Neal’s assessment of the situation, they were obviously witnessing a dangerous combination of pain medication and fine whiskey. 

‘Well, I can’t drive anyway, sooo whadoesitmatter?’ Neal managed to say as he pointed unsteadily to the wheels on his chair.

‘You know, theeese are greaaat wheels – bet I could outrun the two of ya’ Neal said as he made a move to grab for his chair.

For a moment, both Peter and Mozzie were terrified he was actually going to climb on board and take off in a cloud of dust and they relaxed when Neal returned to his drink, staring into the near empty glass.

‘I loved her, I really, really loved her’ he lamented, his head hanging down and his voice growing unsteady.

Peter brought his hand to rest on Neal’s shoulder. ‘I know buddy. She was one in a million, that’s for sure.’ 

He glanced nervously in Mozzie’s direction. If they didn’t want to have to pick Neal up off the floor in a puddle of tears, they’d better make a move and soon. Peter stood, bringing Neal’s chair a little closer so he could climb aboard.

‘What do you say we head back, it’s getting late’ he said in an attempt to get Neal home safely.

Neal stumbled as he tried to manoeuvre himself back into the chair, Mozzie’s arm catching him before he tumbled to the ground.

‘Thanks, buddy’ Neal murmured as he finally found his way into the chair.

‘I’ve been wanting to name her’ Neal said loudly, seemingly out of the blue. ‘...was thinking of calling it... Mildred... or fuckin’ Edna. Whadda you guys think?’ 

The patrons nearby looked up as Neal swore like a sailor, buoyed by the attention he was getting from the rapt audience.

‘I think... we... we should have a contest’ he said, louder, attracting even more attention.

Peter and Mozzie were ready to take their leave, eager to avoid making a scene but Neal seemed to be hitting his stride as he continued addressing everyone within earshot.

‘How many people vote for ‘Mildred’?’ he was shouting as Peter tried desperately to grab the chair’s grips in an attempt to leave.

‘Wai, wai, wai, wai, wait’ Neal said, shooing his hand away from the back of the wheelchair.

‘What about ‘fuckin’ Edna’? Any takers?’ Neal shouted out as everyone giggled.

Even impaired, Neal still had irrefutable charm and the patrons began to react, some of them calling out one or the other of the two names Neal had suggested. Before long, Neal had the whole crowd involved in voting, with ‘fuckin’ Edna’ the clear winner.

Mozzie and Peter watched the spectacle in awe and Neal finally settled down, pleased with the outcome.

‘O-kay, now...’ he finally said as he looked up at Peter ‘...you can push fuckin’ Edna.’

WCWCWC

Sara hung up the phone and stared up at her best friend across from her at the kitchen table.

‘What’s the matter?’ El asked as she took in the concerned look on her friend’s face.

‘That was Peter. He says Neal had just a couple of drinks but he’s totally wasted’ she said as she reached for her purse. ‘I’m going to call his case coordinator just to see what she says.’ 

Elizabeth listened with interest as Sara explained things on the phone, noticing her face begin to relax at whatever explanation was being given to her at the other end. She finally hung up, turning to El as she spoke.

‘She said that there’s a buildup of medication in Neal’s system and that he’s just having an amplified reaction to the booze he’s ingested. He just needs to sleep it off’ Sara explained, relieved.

‘Drunk Neal’ was a very rare occurrence indeed; she might have witnessed it three or four times since she’d known him but generally, Neal didn’t do well with altered states of consciousness whether it was alcohol or pain medication and on the few occasions he’d been given meds in hospital, he had given her quite a show. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he finally made it home but she was grateful to Peter and Mozzie for keeping an eye on him and keeping him from getting into trouble. 

She didn’t have to wait long; within half an hour the threesome arrived and she could hear Neal belting out ‘Oh Danny Boy’ at the top of his lungs from their front porch.

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

It was obvious from the look on Peter’s face that he’d had his fill of babysitting ‘too happy for his own good Neal’ and he gladly passed the baton to Sara, suggesting that he and El make tracks back to Brooklyn. Before absconding, however, he helped Sara get Neal ready for bed, supporting him as he stood in front of the toilet and peed for what seemed like three whole minutes, now having moved on to a few classics from ‘Evita’. Neal gave Peter a nice big, juicy kiss on the cheek, thanking him for everything he’d done for him and he let himself flop onto the bed while Sara walked the Burkes to the front door with a prediction that Neal would be calling with his apologies in the morning.

Sara expected Neal to be sound asleep when she returned but he was on his back, still singing, a stupid smile on his face as he gave her a come-hither look and crooked his finger, inviting her to join him. She changed out of her clothes and into a nightshirt and she climbed into bed next to him, figuring she’d give him a few minutes to settle down and fall asleep. 

Apparently, that was not what Neal had in mind.

He looked up at Sara with his best puppy dog eyes as she settled in the bed beside him, sitting up and grabbing her book from the bedside table. Despite their little quarrel and the fact that he’d actually kicked her out of bed for the last two nights, she didn’t want to leave him alone on the off chance he did something crazy – well, crazier than what he’d already done. He lay on his pillow, his neck craned up so he could see her reaction and he waited for a response, which was not forthcoming. She certainly didn’t want him choking on his own vomit but she hadn’t quite forgiven him for acting like a petulant child for the past three days.

With great effort, Neal turned towards her in the bed, pulling his legs into position so he could lay on his side, his head landing firmly in Sara’s lap. She smiled grudgingly at the gesture, rolling her eyes and watching as Neal placed his arm snugly around her hips, hugging her close as he made a mewling sound she wasn’t quite sure what to make of. He continued with the unfamiliar noises, finally lifting his heavy head and trying to make eye contact with her.

‘You’re sooo beau-ful’ he mumbled incoherently.

‘That’s nice, honey’ she said as she ran her hand dismissively through his hair in an effort to keep him calm. With any luck he’d fall asleep and she could get back to her book.

‘No, no, no, no, no, no... you think I’m drunk and I dunno wha’m saying but I do’ he added trying to focus his eyes on hers.

‘You’re beau-dee-ful’ he repeated slowly. ‘…as beau-dee-jul as the first time I laid eyes on you.’

‘Oh…’ Sara said, amused. ‘Because you remember how I looked the first time you saw me at your trial… twenty-five years ago?’ 

Drunk or not, it was her job to call Neal on his shit and she took that responsibility very seriously.

‘I remember ‘xacly what you were wearing that day’ he answered triumphantly.

‘You think you can remember what I was wearing... twenty five years ago?’ she repeated, incredulous, as Neal began to drag her down onto the bed to keep from having to crane his neck up to look at her.

She let herself slip down, her book tumbling off the bed, until her head was safely on the pillow next to his, their faces mere inches apart. Neal nodded excitedly; he had this one.

‘You had on a pencil skirt, navy blue and a silk blouse with some blue and beige design thingy – and reaaaally hot strappy navy blue shoes’ he said dramatically, his arms waving.

Sara listened as she tried to recall that day; her face beginning to come alive as she realized he was right. She remembered those shoes – her very first pair of Louboutins bought with the proceeds from her very first recovery at Sterling Bosh. She couldn’t quite believe it – surely it was just a lucky guess.

‘I remember everything you wear’ he claimed, confidently.

‘Oh yeah? What about....’ Sara thought, eager to catch him in a lie – or at least an exaggeration ‘...that day we had Chinese food on the roof of the FBI? What was I wearing that day?’

Neal rolled his eyes as if it were a no-brainer. ‘Really?’ he asked, his speech slurred.

Sara stared expectantly, figuring he was just stalling for time.

‘A flowy white sleeveless thing with a lil belt and dark pants - you had a chunky gold necklace too’ he said with a smug look on his face.

‘You are so full of shit, Caffrey’ she said as she allowed herself to laugh.

‘Assme anything’ he insisted feeling pretty damn sure of himself.

Sara thought for a moment – trying to give him a bit of a challenge.  
‘Okay, what about the night you proposed?’ she finally asked.

‘Sara! At least give me a hard one’ he replied, rolling his eyes with exaggeration.

‘I knew it. You’re bluffing’ she said, now having fun with the impromptu game.

‘Roy-al blue maternity dress – my favourite one’ he recited without missing a beat.

‘All right, all right wise guy, one more’ she said playfully as she gazed into Neal’s smiling eyes.

They hadn’t laughed together like this in quite a while and this amusing little competition was helping her relax after a few days of brutal tension. She thought for a moment, remembering the eventful night Neal had told her he loved her for the very first time, the night that Hope was conceived. It had been June’s 75th birthday dinner and she was dressed to the nines, hoping to impress her hostess. He’d had quite a bit to drink that night and she figured he’d had other things on his mind - like getting her out of that dress and into bed.

‘What about the night of June’s 75th birthday party?’ she finally asked, her eyes playful.

Neal laughed and she figured, once again, that he was deflecting, stalling for time.

‘The night I told you I loved you?’ he asked.

She nodded and waited, figuring she finally had him up against the ropes. Neal got a very faraway look in his eyes as he seemingly struggled to recall that night.

‘That was one of the best nights of my life’ he began.

‘Finally stumped you, huh Caffrey?’ she said, pleased with herself.

He shook his head, his eyes returning to hers.

‘It was a beautiful, shimmery emerald green dress, short and when you moved... it was magical’ he finally said triumphantly, a smile returning to his face.

‘What are you? The Rain Man of clothes?’ she asked, laughing heartily.

His face relaxed for an instant at the sound of her unguarded laughter and suddenly, he turned serious lowering his voice as he gently touched her face.

‘Babe…’ he said with such urgency that her eyes were drawn back to those deep pools of blue. ‘Please don’t let me push you away.’

She shook her head in disbelief. ‘Oh, Neal! Why do you do it? Why do you push me away?’

He gave her that look, the one that left her totally weak in the knees, unable to argue with him, unable to fight back; that little boy look that said: I know I’ve been an idiot but please love me anyway, love me despite myself.

The next thing she knew, he was kissing her, warm and wet, a sloppy kiss that lacked finesse but was just so sweet and sincere that it was infinitely sexier than when he turned on the Caffrey charm full blast. That look of pure innocence and sincerity was just too sweet to ignore and she gave in to him as Neal began to make whiny, needy sounds and continued to kiss her messily. She could taste the fine whiskey on his tongue and she began to relax as he continued to explore her mouth, the sounds continuing to grow.

‘Neal! Neal!’ she said urgently as he came up for air. ‘Remember what the doctor said - don’t push yourself, don’t start something you won’t be able to finish.’

He snorted in response, a sneaky smile on his lips as he took her hand and brought it to rest at the edge of his sleep pants. 

‘Says who?’ he asked with a grin, apparently proud of himself.

Although certainly not up to his usual standards, he’d begun to get more and more sensation back and he was feeling particularly cocky (pun intended) as he waited for her reaction to his feat. Sara let her hand linger on his groin, noticing he had started the party without her and she gave a few hesitant strokes which only served to bring on some louder, more insistent noises.

‘Shhhh’ she whispered as she brought her finger to his lips. ‘Quiet! The kids are upstairs.’

For all the weakness in the lower part of his body, Neal was still a strong man and, without so much as a moment’s hesitation and with great effort, he returned to lying on his back and he proceeded to lift his wife and deposit her on top of him as she continued to argue.

‘Honey, I don’t want to hurt your chest’ she said as he winced in pain – or was that pleasure?

‘You lemme worry about that’ he whispered dismissively as he placed her onto his hips, taking her legs and positioning them on either side of him, instantly creating friction they were both exceedingly grateful for.

It was her turn to let out a soft moan as she came into direct contact with his body. She sat up, looking down into his darkening eyes, reacting to the whiskey he’d imbibed and, she hoped, the sensation of her body pressed up against his. 

‘Can you feel that?’ she asked lovingly.

He just stared back at her, sighing deeply, an unmistakable look of pleasure in his half-hooded eyes.

‘I missed you…’ he moaned languorously as he began to pull at the nightshirt she was wearing.

Although it wasn’t rocket science, in his present state, it took a moment for him to figure out how to lift the damn thing over her head and he smiled impishly at the sight of her in naked splendour once he finally succeeded. He ran his hands across her belly, up to her breasts as he squeezed one of her nipples between his fingers, expertly pinching as Sara bit down on her lip, moaning in response.

‘You’re gonna... have to move babe’ he murmured breathlessly as he took her into his mouth, making those sloppy wet noises again that were so uncouth, yet so hot.

For a brief moment, she thought he meant she would have to get off of him, but feeling his hands positioned firmly on her hips, she realized he was urging her to start rutting up against him, something she gladly began doing. He didn’t have full range of motion and if she didn’t get something going… well, nothing was going to happen. She leaned over and positioned herself, looking down at him and biting down on her bottom lip to keep from moaning. His hair hung in his eyes, making him look years younger and she could feel the unmistakeable tingle settling in the pit of her stomach at the sight of her husband looking so disheveled and intense, more so than when he was in full control of every inch his body.

His upper body, however, was apparently totally under his control and he traced her neck, her breasts and ran his finger playfully over her belly button, his hand on a mission to reach between her thighs. She let out a little gasp as it finally reached its destination. He might have been impaired but he instinctively knew what to do with his fingers and he began to expertly grind them in just the right spot, watching as she began to squirm, letting out small, guttural grunts.

‘Shh!’ he said, with a mischievous look in his eyes. ‘The kids!’

‘Shut up and keep doing that’ she responded breathlessly.

Neal obliged, enjoying the sight of his wife moving erratically against him, her hair shimmering in the moonlight as she gyrated, finally stilling with a sharp intake of air and a muffled scream. Still in the throes of passion, she began to rub furiously and she let herself fall on top of him, pulling him close as her orgasm lingered. She ran her hands through his hair and pulled, bringing her mouth to his ear and uttering a variety of alliterations of the words ‘yes’ ‘fuck’ and ‘Caffrey’.

She lay there, his arms tightly wound around her as she finally came down from her orgasm and the room stopped spinning. Within seconds, she felt Neal’s body start to relax against hers as his arms fell away and he began fade both above and below the waist. 

By the time she’d collected herself enough to sit up again, Neal was snoring, sound asleep. 

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

Sara woke to the sound of the front door opening and closing. She still wasn’t used to sleeping in the middle of their family room and it took her a moment to get her bearings as she moved away from Neal, whose body she had inadvertently curled up against during the night. She lay there, collecting her thoughts, remembering that Hope had mentioned an early brunch date with Cameron and she turned in bed to check the time: 8:45. The events of the previous night came flooding back and she glanced over at Neal who didn't look any worse for wear. He lay there flat on his back, dead to the world, his mouth open, snoring that soft snore she’d gotten used to hearing over the years whenever he’d had too much to drink the night before. She was glad she’d insisted he drink an extra-large glass of water when he’d first gotten home - he needed to re-hydrate from his excesses. 

He stirred next to her and suddenly his eyes popped open.

‘Hey there’ she said sitting up in the bed as he squinted back.

‘Hey’ he replied pulling himself up onto his elbows. ‘What time is it?’

‘A little before nine’ Sara answered, scrutinizing his face.

‘What?’ Neal asked; she was checking him for ‘something’ he just wasn’t sure what.

‘Nothing... I just... you feeling okay?’ she asked.

‘A bit of a headache but... yeah, why?’ 

Sara’s eyes grew as she realized he wasn’t remembering much from the night before. She gave him a secret smile and climbed out of bed, ready to face the day.

WCWCWC

Hope sat across from her boyfriend in a booth at Mel’s Diner, the breakfast joint her parents had been taking her to since she was a little girl. She stared down at her Eggs Bennie, her appetite not quite what she thought it had been when she’d ordered it in the first place. She turned her attention back to Cam who was digging into a short stack of blueberry pancakes with gusto.

‘You know it’s bad enough that you and I will be separated, I just think I need to stick around a little while longer so I can help my dad with the gallery’ she said, her fork dancing in front of Cam’s eyes.

‘But Hope, it’s only early June, we don’t know how he’ll be feeling by September’ Cameron replied, between bites. ‘For all we know, everything could be back to normal by then.’

She stared back with that look of determination he knew all too well. ’Even if he is up and walking, he’s going to need some time to get over the trauma and if I worked at the gallery full time, I know it would be a big help.’ 

‘He’s got your uncle Peter....’ Cam reminded her.

‘Yeah, but Uncle Peter’s got enough to deal with on the business side, especially since we’re making all these acquisitions to get the gallery back on its feet. Dad needs someone he can count on to help with the creative side of things’ she said, finally taking a small bite of her meal.

‘Well, he does trust you more than anyone else, that’s for sure’ Cam conceded.

‘My point exactly’ she answered.

‘But Hope, he’s going to be devastated if you don’t start school as planned. Your parents worked really hard to save up to send you to Carnegie Mellon; it means a lot to both of them.’

‘That’s just it, though – I’m just delaying by a few months. I’ve already talked to the admissions office and they’ve promised me a spot for January’ she said, her eyes dancing.

Cameron looked up at his girlfriend; he didn’t want to be giving her the wrong kind of advice on such an important decision. Ever since the shooting, she’d been talking about the possibility of foregoing a September admission in favour of helping her dad for a few months at the gallery. Of course, strictly on a selfish basis, Cam would love to keep Hope around until Christmas instead of having to say goodbye at the end of the summer but getting into Carnegie Mellon had been a big deal for her and he didn’t want her making any rash decisions that would be to her detriment. One thing he did know for certain was that her parents would fight her all the way – especially her dad.

‘Why don’t you talk to your uncle Peter about it? He always gives great advice’ he finally suggested.

‘Do you mind if we drive over there after breakfast?’ 

Her uncle Peter had been giving her great advice her whole life and she trusted him; if she could sell him on this idea, she knew she’d be well on her way to convincing her dad as well.

WCWCWC

‘You know, I feel like I’m the only one who’s not in on some cosmic joke’ Neal said as he sipped his coffee.

Ever since he’d woken up, he’d been noticing Sara giving him strange sideways glances; waiting for him to... he wasn’t sure what. He sat at the kitchen table as she scurried around, getting some laundry on and putting breakfast on the table. Weekend brunches were usually his domain but since the shooting he’d had to put up with a scaled down version of his fabulous brunches in favour of toast or cereal which was about the extent of his wife’s culinary skills – not that she didn’t have plenty of other, wonderful attributes, Neal thought as he suddenly had an unbidden yet vivid mental image of his wife looming over him, writhing with pleasure.

‘Last night....’ he began as her ears perked up.

‘What about last night?’ she asked innocently.

‘What happened exactly when I got home – you know, come to think of it, I don’t even really remember getting home’ Neal admitted, worry lines appearing suddenly on his forehead.  
‘You don’t remember?’ she asked coyly.

‘Did we...? No’ he said, shaking it off.

Sara counted to three.

‘Did we... did I...? Just tell me Sara, what happened?’ he finally said as he began to get memory flashes in his muddled mind.

‘You just had a reaction to the scotch and the pain meds and you got a little bit... you know, loopy’ she said, waiting for him to come to his own conclusions.

‘Loopy? Naw, I didn’t sing, did I?’ he asked, suddenly embarrassed. 

‘Broadway hits mostly’ Sara said with a wry smile.

Neal giggled nervously as he suddenly got a flash of himself standing in front of the toilet bowl with – wait a minute was that Peter standing next to him? 

‘Did I give Peter a wet kiss or... please tell me that was just a dream’ he said, his eyes imploring her to set him straight.

‘Sorry, can’t do that’ she answered. 

‘And did I manage to... did we...?’ he asked wagging his finger between Sara and himself.

Sara just looked at him, amused, as he struggled to recall the events that had taken place between the sheets.

‘I did, didn’t I?’ he suddenly said, a twinge – well more than a twinge – of pride in his voice.

Sara shrugged, enjoying the show as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.

‘Oh, yeah…’ he finally said with a big grin on his face as he nodded, finally remembering a few choice details.

‘You were pretty pleased with yourself until you nodded off right before the main event’ she said cryptically.

‘But you – you were good?’ he asked, hoping he hadn’t left his wife high and dry.

‘Well, I am smiling...’ she answered, finally breaking up and laughing heartily.

‘You were a regular Lothario, Neal and yes, I fell asleep with a big grin on my face. You still got it, honey, so stop worrying. Everything’s going to be just fine’ she said with a naughty wink.

She rose to get them a refill on the coffee and Neal watched her cute little ass as she stood at the kitchen counter; it would appear he still had the magic touch.

WCWCWC

‘Hi honey, I’m so glad you called’ said Elizabeth as she opened the door to the young couple. ‘Come on in, your uncle Peter’s in the back yard.’

Hope and Cameron stepped in and followed El out, finding Peter sitting on the patio with a glass of lemonade and the Sunday paper on his lap. He almost never went in to the gallery on Sundays, letting the part-timers cover the hours of opening and he enjoyed the down time with El, recuperating from a busy workweek, especially with Neal away the past few weeks.

‘I thought you guys were working today’ he said as he stood to greet them.

‘Not until noon. Max is there this morning’ Hope said as she walked over and kissed her godfather.

‘Sit, sit’ he said as he motioned to the nearby chairs.

Elizabeth joined them, pouring everyone a glass of lemonade; it was a gorgeous early June morning and the weather was getting warm enough to actually sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

‘Is everything okay? Is it your dad?’ Peter asked, suddenly concerned as to the reason for her impromptu visit.

‘No, no, Dad’s fine. Well actually, better than fine, if the singing I heard last night is anything to go by.’

Out of respect for her parents, she didn’t mention the other strange noises she’d heard emanating from downstairs the night before – noises which were unmistakeable and just a little embarrassing when it came to your parents.

‘Yeah, well, he had a strange reaction after he had a couple of drinks. Hopefully, he’s feeling better today’ Peter said, making a mental note to call Neal once the kids left.

‘Uncle Peter, I need your advice on something’ Hope began.

Peter listened intently as Hope told him about her plan to put off going to university until the January semester, explaining her motivations and insisting that she was doing this of her own free will in an attempt to support her dad.

‘... and I checked with Admissions and they have a January entrance and I wouldn’t be putting my scholarship at risk or anything...’ she continued, without taking so much as a breath. 

‘Honey, your dad’s an adult and he has me and your mom to support him and I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet in no time’ Peter explained.

Hope had her whole life ahead of her; the last thing she should be doing was putting off her dreams in some warped sense of responsibility for what had happened to her dad.

‘That’s just it, though. We don’t know how long it’s going to be before he’s back to his old self. It could be months. Mom has her own job to think about and ... Dad trusts me with the creative side of things. I could help with commissions, I know what he likes and he could ease into things, slowly.’

‘Hope, this is all very selfless of you but...’ Peter said before she interrupted.

‘Uncle Peter, I need to do this. What happened to Dad, well...’ she stopped for a moment ’…it changed how I feel about life. I want to be able to spend some time with him and share this with him before I go off to school for four years and only get to see him a few times a year.’

Peter looked at his beautiful goddaughter, struggling to do the right thing. He knew Neal would hate the idea of her putting her life on hold for him but he also understood that Hope wanted to do this for herself, not just for him and that after what they’d been through together, she needed to have proper closure before going on with the next chapter of her life.

‘And you really think you’re doing this for the right reasons?’ he asked as he leaned in to peer into her baby blue eyes.

‘I do. I need to do this Uncle Peter... for him and for me’ she stated unequivocally.

‘Well, if that’s what you really want, I’ll support you’ he said, taking her hand.

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, almost throwing him off his chair. When they pulled apart, she looked deep into his eyes.

‘Will you help me tell him?’

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

On Tuesday morning, Sara and Neal got into the car and drove to Bellevue Hospital for Neal’s first follow-up checkup since he’d left the hospital. He’d been making giant strides since June’s funeral and Sara had noticed he could stand for longer periods of time now, sometimes up to three or four seconds before shifting his weight to and from his wheelchair. After his spill from the week before, he’d become somewhat skittish, feeling the need to latch on to something as he transferred his weight. But overall, his confidence seemed to slowly be returning as the days passed. Neal’s worst enemy was himself: he lacked patience in such things and Sara didn’t want him to get overconfident or take any unnecessary chances that might lead to a fall and, heaven forbid, another injury.

However, his spirits were up and she was thankful for that; she’d seen glimpses of the old Neal throughout the past few days and she’d actually seen him laugh on a couple of occasions which was a welcome sight and a promising development. He was scheduled to have a scan and tests followed by a physiotherapy session and finally, a meeting with Dr. Miller in the afternoon – an all day marathon – and she anticipated that Neal would be exhausted by the end of the day. With exhaustion often came a lull in Neal’s optimism and she braced herself for an eventful day as they headed out.

He grumbled somewhat but eventually agreed to let her push him in his chair. He hated having to count on others but the physical effort was daunting and they had a lot of ground to cover. The building which housed the physiotherapy department was all the way across the hospital campus and after the initial tests, the couple made their way over to meet with Clive.

‘Neal! Great to see you out and about’ said the young man as he greeted them in the reception area. ‘How’s the arm?’

‘Good as new’ Neal fibbed, rubbing it unwittingly.  
He looked through the doorway into the physiotherapy room at the various pieces of equipment lying about; they had discussed moving on to more demanding exercises and he was more than eager to make a go of it. So far, over the past week since he’d been released from hospital, his therapy had consisted of keeping his legs moving, his muscles supple so that when he ultimately began walking, his lower body would be up to the task of supporting his weight. Now, he was facing the daunting task of standing and actually moving and even though Neal was excited at the prospect, he was concerned he might not be up to the challenge.

‘Sara, if you don’t mind waiting here, I’ll take Neal in for his session. I promise to bring him back in about forty-five minutes. We have a small cafeteria right down that hall if you want to grab a cup of coffee’ he said as he pointed, taking over the reins and wheeling ‘Edna’ the rest of way.

‘Don’t overdo it, honey’ Sara cautioned as she leaned in to kiss Neal.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t.’

The men disappeared behind the door to the exercise room as Sara peeked in the window to watch. There were exercise balls, bars and a variety of specialized equipment designed to cater to all kinds of injuries. It looked like any other gym, just modified, and Sara watched as a half-dozen patients worked at different stations. She pulled away as she saw Clive stop and move around the chair to talk to Neal. Suddenly, she felt like a voyeur and she forced herself to step away from the door. Neal would hate knowing she was watching and sure enough, she caught him glancing over his shoulder to see if she was still standing there. She reluctantly pulled her eyes away and headed down the hall.

WCWCWC

‘So...’ Neal said nervously as Clive parked his chair next to a set of parallel bars.

‘Don’t worry Neal; we won’t be doing anything you’re not up to doing. One small step at a time’ said Clive calmly as he put the brakes on his patient’s chair.

‘I know you’re meeting Dr. Miller later but we did get some excellent results from that test you just took’ he added.

Neal thought back to the young tech who’d spent the better part of twenty minutes poking small pins all over his hips and legs, measuring his reaction to the stimuli with a nearby fancy-shmancy machine. 

‘Between that and the fact that you’re standing on your own for a few seconds at a time, I think you’re finally ready to make a start and take a few steps’ the physiotherapist said.

‘O-kay’ Neal answered with a long sigh.

As excited as he was at the prospect of walking again, he couldn’t deny he was nervous, afraid he wouldn’t be up to the task, that he would somehow disappoint Sara or more importantly, himself. As he’d begun to get stronger, he hadn’t needed his wife’s help quite as much for his routine needs and that had given him confidence as his faith in his abilities had slowly begun to return. 

‘So, this is the drill’ continued Clive. ‘We’re going to start with some of the strength building and we’ll finish up here at the bars and we’ll let you take a little walk before we set you free.’

Neal nodded in agreement at the plan for their workout session. ‘Let’s do it!’

WCWCWC

Sara sat in the small cafeteria sipping bad coffee and reading e-mails on her phone. Neal had become more insistent that she consider returning to work and surprisingly, she was actually considering the idea. He was able to see to his bathroom needs on his own now and she wasn’t as worried about him taking a tumble now that she’d put everything within arms’ reach in the kitchen. It made for a very cluttered kitchen counter but at least it was functional and she didn’t worry about him attempting some heroic feat by trying to get a hold of something that was just out of his reach, like he’d done the last time.

She looked around, noting that there were a few of patients sitting around with loved ones, having an early lunch and just chilling, probably on their way in or out of their appointments. 

What a journey this was turning out to be! 

She noticed a child of no more than ten or eleven years old, sitting with a young woman. The young girl was half-sitting, half-lying in a contraption that was a cross between a wheelchair and a bed. She seemed to have some very limited movement in her upper body but she had a luminous smile as she talked to the older woman, whom Sara guessed was her mom.

Despite her efforts to keep her mind on the e-mails she’d been reading, she couldn’t help but overhear their conversation and she began to clue into the unfortunate circumstances which had led the child to the physiotherapy department.

Before long, she had pieced together that the family had been involved in a serious car accident and that the little girl had severed her spinal cord. She was facing a lifetime in that chair, so different from the life she must have been planning just a few months before. Sara listened, mesmerized, realizing that the woman was the child’s physiotherapist and not her mom. The little girl confided that she worried about her parents and the guilt they were carrying from what had happened to her in the accident. Sara couldn't help but be amazed by the young girl’s maturity and her thoughtfulness as she selflessly expressed concern for her parents’ wellbeing when she, herself, was in such dire straits. The therapist listened, as did Sara and suddenly, she felt tears welling up in her eyes at the courage displayed by this young girl. She thought of her own kids, of Neal and how lucky they were to have each other. 

She wiped a tear and glanced at her watch, realizing it was time to meet up with Neal and she made a hasty exit towards the physiotherapy room. 

WCWCWC

Neal watched helplessly as his legs began to shake uncontrollably – he’d noticed it happening on a couple of occasions and hadn’t wanted to say anything to Sara so she wouldn’t worry. In fact, it had happened in bed the night before just before he’d fallen asleep and he’d glanced nervously over at his wife noticing that, thankfully, she’d already drifted off. 

‘Has that been happening a lot?’ asked Clive, pointing to the trembling in Neal’s legs.

‘Yeah, a few times over the last few days’ he admitted as he glanced up with apprehension. 

‘Don’t worry about it; it’s just your muscles reconnecting with your spinal cord and your body’s not quite able to control the movement yet. It’s a good sign, actually’ Clive said matter-of-factly. ‘It means everything is going back to the way it was.’

Neal smiled feebly. It was very disconcerting to watch his legs quiver uncontrollably and he really didn’t want it happening when he was in the middle of a discussion with a customer at the gallery or while he was having dinner with his family. For a man whose body had been a finely tuned instrument for most of his life, it was terrifying to give over that control – even if it was a temporary situation.

‘You ready to tackle those bars before you head out?’ Clive asked.

Although he was eager to take a few tentative steps, Neal had been worried about this moment all morning, afraid he wouldn’t be up to the challenge. He wheeled himself over to where Clive stood, and followed directions, locking Edna’s wheels and reaching over to grab the two bars, one on either side of his body. Of course, he’d been standing practically since the accident, just long enough to transfer his weight to or from the chair but this was different – this was walking – and suddenly Neal was terrified, worried his legs wouldn’t cooperate on the elusive mission. He glanced nervously towards the door which led to the hallway; for some reason, he didn’t want Sara to be watching as he lay himself bare, so helpless and vulnerable. Reassured, he pulled himself up with a grunt, feeling his legs wobble slightly at having to bear his weight. 

‘Excellent!’ Clive said. ‘Now just get some balance; hold on to the bars for a few seconds’

Neal swallowed hard, his heart beating wildly in his chest. When had the prospect of taking a few steps become such an overwhelming challenge? 

‘Once you feel your legs are stable, I want you to try to move your right leg forward. You can just let it slide if you want, don’t try lifting it for now’ Clive explained as he stood nearby, ready to spot him.

As instructed, Neal stared down at his foot, screaming at it to do what he wanted it to do and amazingly, the leg reacted by doing exactly what it had been told. His foot moved about four inches forward and Neal let out a sigh of relief as he watched with trepidation.

‘Look at that, Neal! Your first step’ Clive continued, encouraging his patient.

‘Now talk to your left leg, see if it’ll listen’ he urged.

It was one thing to let his foot slip forward as he stood perfectly balanced but now he had to transfer his weight onto his right foot in order to bring the left one forward and Neal stared seemingly forever at his legs before he attempted the movement. He white knuckled the bars and held his breath as he attempted the daunting manoeuvre, watching with wonder as his left foot pulled ahead of his right.

He let out a nervous, guttural laugh at the sight and listened while Clive continued with his words of encouragement.

‘You’re doing great, Neal. Maybe a couple more, what do you think?’ 

Now that Neal was witnessing what his heavy legs could accomplish, he was encouraged and he gladly repeated the movement, this time with a little more confidence, once again letting out a nervous giggle at the promising results. 

He wanted to keep going but Clive all but demanded that he stop after having repeated the whole sequence three more times. Neal was drenched in sweat and his wheelchair was brought closer as he let himself drop, exhausted, surprisingly appreciative to have Edna there for support. By the time Clive wheeled him out, Sara was returning, a beautiful smile on her face. 

Seeing her husband there was one of the most amazing sights she’d ever seen.

TBC


	40. Chapter 40

‘What about that corner over there?’ Peter asked as Mozzie stood, perched on the step ladder.

‘This one has a wide angle – it’ll cover all the way there’ Mozzie responded, pointing to the corner of the room.

‘I really don’t know why we didn’t do this in the first place’ Peter said as he took in the sight of the five newly installed cameras located throughout the gallery.

‘I mentioned it to Neal over a year ago’ said Mozzie as he stepped down and accepted the cup of aromatic tea from Peter’s hand. ‘But he just kept putting it off.’

‘Well, now that we’ve got every inch of this gallery covered, we can record anything that’s going on’ Peter said with an air of satisfaction. 

‘So, have you seen Boy Wonder since Saturday night?’ Mozzie asked.

‘He called on Sunday morning to apologize about what happened at the pub but he didn’t come in yesterday and he had all those appointments at the hospital today.’

‘It was nice to see him relaxing the other night’ Mozzie admitted as he thought back to the events following the funeral.

‘You know I would never admit it to him, but he has a pretty good singing voice’ said Peter with a chuckle.

‘I know. We once pulled a con in Dusseldorf where Neal posed as an opera singer...’ Mozzie said, noticing the dubious look on Peter face.

‘.... of course, that was a long time ago’ Mozzie mumbled, noting he didn’t quite have the right audience for his little story.

‘Well, he’ll be back tomorrow so I guess we’ll hear all about what the doctor had to say’ Peter concluded. 

The door to the shop opened, the cheerful bell heralding the arrival of another customer.

WCWCWC

‘You look in excellent spirits’ Dr. Miller exclaimed as she joined Sara and Neal in the small examination room. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Not bad’ Neal admitted. ‘But I find I fade fast.’

‘That’s normal, Neal. It’s only been a little over two weeks since the shooting and you’ve had major surgery – to say nothing of all the exertion of having to get in and out of that chair to see to your basic needs.’

‘Well, what he’s not telling you is that he’s actually gone back to work part-time’ Sara said, ratting out her husband.

Neal rolled his eyes and gave Sara an annoyed look. ‘It’s not demanding in the least...’ he said by way of explanation.

‘Well, you’ll want to pace yourself Neal’ Dr. Miller said as she helped him out of his chair and onto the examination table.

‘Let’s look at your two wounds to start with’ she said as she lifted the hospital gown he’d been asked to slip into.

‘Very good’ she said as her fingers lingered on the wound in his abdomen. ‘That’s healing well.’

She pulled him onto his side in order to check out the messier of the two wounds, the exit wound in his back. He grimaced.

‘Wow. That’s looking good too. How’s the pain?’ 

‘Not too bad, actually. I’ve started to cut down to half the dosage, like you suggested and it seems to be enough to keep me going between doses’ Neal said as he struggled to sit up.

Dr. Miller walked over to make some notes on Neal’s chart, piping up as she read.

‘I see you had an unfortunate reaction to mixing alcohol with your meds. I thought we covered that before you left the hospital last week’ she said in rebuke.

Neal looked sheepish as he glanced over at Sara who’d decided she was staying well out of that one.

‘Well, I thought if I cut down on my dose, I could have a few drinks but...’ Neal admitted, embarrassed.

‘Yeah, well I guess you figured out that wasn’t a very successful strategy, huh?’ 

Sara gave Neal a knowing look; his lack of judgement in that situation had ultimately led to their reconciliation and an explosive orgasm to boot so giving him a hard time about the unfortunate incident wasn’t uppermost on her mind. 

‘Well, your immune system seems to be strong – but don’t push yourself too much. Viruses love to attack you when you’re overtired. And more good news, that test we did this morning shows that you’re up to 19% of your previous sensitivity in your legs and 23% in your hips. Have you noticed any improvements in sensitivity in your groin area?’ she asked, her eyes still down on her paper.

Neal and Sara exchanged a surreptitious smile as he answered. ‘Yeah, I seem to have more feeling in my... hips’ he said, stifling a giggle.

The exchange was not lost on Dr. Miller who finally brought her eyes up to look at her patient. 

‘Well, don’t overdo that either’ she said knowingly as her eyes went from Neal to Sara.

‘Any issues with physiotherapy?’ she continued without missing a beat.

‘No. I take it I have to start coming here now for my sessions?’

‘Three times a week is optimal and keep doing whatever your therapist has recommended at home on the other days’ she added. ‘Any questions?’ 

Neal shook his head in response.

‘All right then, I want to see you back here in another week.’

WCWCWC

By the time they made it back to White Plains, it was late afternoon and Neal was exhausted but in excellent spirits. It had been good news all around and he was feeling optimistic about his recovery. The house was quiet when they walked in, the kids still not having returned from school, and in a fit of whimsy, Neal grabbed Sara as they got into the house pulling her onto his lap and wheeling them both to the back of the house as she shrieked.

‘Neal! What are you doing?’ she said, giggling like a schoolgirl.

‘Well, you’ve been pushing me around all day, I think it’s time I give you a ride!’ he said as he stopped and turned his attention to his passenger.

Sara laced her arms around his neck to keep from tumbling off and he moved his arms from Edna’s wheels to her waist, pulling her in to him and delighting in hearing her laugh. He kissed her soundly and watched as her face relaxed.

‘If I’d known how much fun this was going to be, I would have asked for a ride a long time ago’ she said, her voice languid.

He smiled fondly at his wife.

‘We are going to get through this, aren’t we babe?’ he said, a sudden look of concern in his eyes.

‘Without a doubt’ she answered emphatically.

WCWCWC

Wednesday had a wonderfully ordinary feel to it as both Neal and Sara went back to work – well at least for part of the day. Sara didn’t want Neal overexerting himself but she’d agreed to let him spend the morning at the gallery while she went in to Sterling Bosch to check on things.

They had a busy evening ahead of them and she didn’t want him getting too tuckered out before they got to the end of the day. Liam’s birthday celebration, which had been put off for obvious reasons, was scheduled that night: dinner out followed by a hockey game at Madison Square Gardens as the Rangers held on by the skin of their teeth in the final round of the Eastern Conference finals. It had cost him a fortune but Neal had managed to secure tickets to the game for all four of them. Sara and Hope weren’t the most avid of hockey fans but Liam had been thrilled at the notion of all four of them going out together and, considering his actual birthday celebration had been a bust, it was the least they could do for him.

Throughout the morning, Sara reconnected with her underlings, summoning everyone to a staff meeting where she caught up on recent recoveries and upcoming cases. It felt good to be back doing something ‘normal’ after two weeks of worrying and she enjoyed the friendly banter as her team welcomed her back.

Neal, on the other hand, was thrilled to be back at the gallery and he wheeled himself around the main floor, taking in Mozzie handiwork.

‘Moz did a great job with the security system’ he said, in admiration. ‘I really don’t know why I held off on doing this.’

‘I think you were just so focussed on opening the gallery in the beginning.’

‘Still...’ Neal pondered. ‘...if it wasn’t for those cameras out in the alley, you wouldn’t have had positive ID on those guys.’

‘Well, that’s all behind us’ said Peter as he put down his pen, temporarily dropping whatever he’d been working on.

‘You know, I can’t believe that guy from Sterling Bosch was involved in this’ Neal added, wistfully.

‘He’s bad news. He can’t get another job to save his life now that he’s done time’ Peter said.

Neal thought about how lucky he was to be living the dream after working so hard at messing up his life for so many years. He shook off the feeling, suddenly excited to share his news with Peter.

‘Guess what?’ he said, sounding like an excited five year old.

Peter cocked his eyebrows in anticipation.

‘I took a few steps in physiotherapy yesterday’ Neal exclaimed, proud of his feat.

‘You’re kidding!’ 

‘Look, let me show you’ Neal said excitedly.

‘Neal, I don't think that’s such a good idea’ Peter warned, getting to his feet.

‘I’m telling you, I can do it’ Neal crowed.

Peter stared back, looking skeptical. Neal Caffrey had gotten him involved in plenty of unseemly if not downright dangerous situations over the years - the man’s judgement wasn't always what it should be.

‘Look, we’ll do it safely, okay? Just like I did with Clive’ Neal said, his enthusiasm beginning to chip away at Peter’s reluctance.

He wheeled himself over to the counter which was about the height of his waist and struggled to get out of the chair.

‘I’ll hold on to the counter with one hand and you can support me on the other side. I’m telling you, I took about eight steps yesterday’ Neal insisted, getting to his feet.

Peter looked at Neal who was doing a great job of conning him. He could see the exhilaration in Neal’s eyes and he let out an exasperated sigh. This was obviously important to Neal and really, what could go wrong when he was standing right there?

‘All right’ he finally said as he took Neal’s elbow, helping to support his weight. ‘Make sure your chair is locked so it doesn’t roll away when you sit back down.’

‘Already locked’ Neal said with assurance as he struggled with getting his balance.

As he’d done the day before, he waited a moment to feel his legs stabilize beneath him before turning his attention to making a move.

‘Okay…’ he said, breathlessly. ’Now, watch this!’

He furrowed his brow, concentrating more than Peter had ever seen him do, and taking a deep breath, he willed his leg to move which it did to Peter’s great delight.

‘Wow! That’s amazing!’ he exclaimed as he took in Neal’s beaming face.

Neal smiled as he let his right arm lean on the counter, feeling Peter’s strong arm holding him up.

‘I want to do one more’ he said proudly as he struggled to move his left leg.

Peter opened his mouth to protest, alas too late. 

The sudden movement set off a chain of events, putting Neal slightly off-balance as his arm slipped off the granite counter. The next thing he knew, his legs were shaking, suddenly unable to hold him up as he felt himself slipping, desperately trying to grab onto the smooth countertop surface. His body twisted to the right as Peter fought desperately to keep him from losing his footing and just before his unavoidable tumble to the ground, his chin hit the edge of the counter with force sending throbbing pain along his jaw and blood all over the front of his pristine shirt.

‘Shit’ he shouted as he finally hit the floor in a most inelegant pile.

Peter looked on with concern. He was going to be in deep trouble when Sara finally returned to collect her husband.

TBC


	41. Chapter 41

Sara Ellis sauntered into the Raphael Gallery on a mission to collect her husband for their family date night. What she found instead was Cameron Armstrong attentively seeing to a customer, finalizing a sale as she stood nearby and waited not so patiently for him to wrap up. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn he was taking his sweet old time.

‘Thanks for your business’ Cam finally said as he escorted the older gentleman to the door and saw him out. 

He hesitated for a moment before turning to face Sara, bracing for what he knew would be the onslaught of questions the two cowardly men had left him to face alone.

‘Hi Mrs. Caffrey’ he said in mock cheerfulness as he finally turned to look at her.

‘Cam, what are you doing here? I left Neal here with Peter’ she said with concern, trying to keep herself from moving up the scale to ‘alarm’.

‘Yeah… about that’ Cam said tentatively. ‘They had to... run an errand’ he added vaguely.

‘Run an errand?’ Sara repeated, her voice shrill. ‘What kind of an errand?’

He made his way to the counter, hoping he’d done a good enough job cleaning up the remnants of blood from Neal’s untimely tumble and he grabbed for a small piece of paper.

‘Mr. Burke left a note for you’ he said meekly as he handed it over, avoiding her eyes.

Cam had refused to take the brunt of Sara’s ire; he did not want to be the one to blurt out that her husband was on his way to the emergency room to get his chin sewn up. The least the two spineless runaways could do was to leave a note explaining things in their own words.

Sara ripped the small piece of paper from his hand and braced herself as she read: ‘Neal had a little mishap; took him to Bellevue Hospital.’

‘A little mishap?’ Sara cried out, pretty well exactly as Cameron had expected she would.

‘What happened?’ she asked, looking him squarely in the eye.

Now, looking directly into Sara Ellis’ emerald eyes and not telling her the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth was an almost impossible feat but Cam had been around the Caffrey clan long enough to know the wrath of Sara and he steeled himself to give a sanitized version of the events that had led him to being there that afternoon. After almost 18 months, Cam was now a card-carrying member of the ‘shut up club’ when it came to sharing only what was necessary with the Caffrey women; he’d seen Neal master the task and he’d been taking notes as it related to both Sara and Hope for as many months as he’d been around.

‘I have no idea...’ he fibbed, trying to keep well away from her eventual outburst. ‘They just asked me to give you this note.’ 

Sara let out an unladylike sound, a combination of a huff and a groan and she turned on her heels, leaving Cam standing there, not daring to move. As he heard the door close behind her, he finally let out a long sigh of relief. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the place when Sara finally learned the truth - and eventually blew up at both his bosses.

WCWCWC

Neal and Peter sat side by side in the emergency room of Bellevue Hospital, waiting patiently for Neal to be seen by the ER doctor on duty. Neal stared ahead, holding clean gauze under his chin to keep the bleeding from doing any more damage to his beautiful pale blue shirt which was, no doubt, totally ruined. Peter sat alongside him, his eyes darting towards the door to the emergency room every few seconds, waiting nervously for Sara’s inevitable arrival.

They looked like a couple of young boys who’d been summoned to the principal’s office as they awaited the tongue lashing they were about to receive. For Neal, the prospect of having stitches put in paled in comparison to Sara’s reaction once she eventually heard that Neal had tried to show off and had ended up further mangling his already beat-up body.

Peter cursed under his breath, finally giving in and directing his ire at his partner.

‘Why do I even listen to you?’ he finally said with an exaggerated pout.

‘Peter I did it just yesterday... without any problems’ Neal countered, still trying to cling to the flawed notion that he’d somehow acted responsibly.

‘In a physiotherapy room… holding on firmly to bars with your physiotherapist standing right beside you... not... not trying to cling to a slippery countertop!’ Peter said, his voice escalating.

‘All right! All right!’ Neal exclaimed, knowing yet not wanting to admit, that the whole thing was a stupid error in judgement on his part.

Peter let out a sigh; he knew what was coming and he knew he had to share the blame for what had happened to Neal. He’d had plenty of practice trying to talk Neal out of his hare-brained schemes over the years and yet, his best friend always seemed to talk him into these situations, even now.

‘Sara’s gonna go bonkers’ Neal admitted, his true fears peeking out from under the veneer.

‘Yeah...’ Peter reluctantly agreed. ‘She’ll be furious at both of us.’

Neal turned to look at Peter; they were in this together, for better or for worse. Whatever idiotic decision Neal had made in an attempt to impress his best friend, Peter had been complicit and they would have to stick together if they wanted to survive Sara’s fury.

Peter seemed to read Neal’s mind and he smiled in empathy; suddenly, they were both laughing at their predicament just as the north wind blew and Sara appeared in front of them, hands firmly on her hips, eyes a mix of worry and anger.

‘Honey! Hi!’ Neal said in a conciliatory tone as he made a move to grab for her hand.

‘Don’t you dare ‘hi honey’ me, Neal Caffrey!’ she said sternly as she towered over him. ’What the hell were you thinking?’

Now that she could see for herself that he was in no immediate danger, her anger eclipsed her concern for him and she predictably began to lash out in the only way she knew how.

‘Why do I have a feeling this could have totally been prevented? And what about you, Peter?’ she continued, her voice growing louder. ‘How could you let him do this to himself?’

‘Sara, I —’ Peter attempted before Neal spoke up.

‘Honey, it’s not him, it’s me. I just wanted to show Peter...’ Neal began.

‘You mean show off?’ she interrupted, her face stern.

Peter stood next to Sara, attempting to come to Neal’s rescue. ‘Sara, Neal was being very responsible, he was holding on to the counter...’

Again, Sara didn’t give him a chance to finish as she cut him off.

‘Responsible? Peter, how could you let him talk you into this? I swear, sometimes you two, you’re worse than, worse than...’

‘Neal Caffrey!’ someone called out in the distance, summoning Neal to head back to one of the examination rooms.

Peter made a move to grab Edna’s handles but Sara just glared at him and he retreated, sitting back down and letting her take control of the reins. She let out a flustered sigh and began to push Neal’s chair towards the nurse who was patiently waiting for them to make their way back as Peter stared at his buddy being wheeled away.

WCWCWC

‘That was Cam’ Hope said as she hung up the phone. ‘Apparently, Dad cut his chin at the gallery.’

‘What? How?’ asked Liam from the nearby kitchen table.

‘He was showing Uncle Peter some manoeuvre he’d done in physio and he slipped and hit it on the granite counter. Cam says Mom was furious.’

‘What about tonight?’ Liam asked, suddenly worried. ‘We have tickets to the game.’

His birthday celebration had already been pre-empted once and he’d been looking forward to dinner out at his favourite restaurant followed by the big game at Madison Square Garden. 

‘Don’t worry; I don’t think it’s serious. I’m sure Mom will call and let us know what’s going on’ she said as Raffie let out a sharp bark.

‘Look, you go get ready and I’ll take Raffie out and we’ll see what happens’ Hope said, in full big-sister mode.

WCWCWC

‘Mr. Caffrey!’ the doctor said as he entered the cubicle.

Neal had seen a lot of doctors over the past few weeks and he prided himself on his excellent memory but he couldn’t place this guy to save his life.

‘I’m Dr. Mercer. I was on duty on the night you were shot. Of course, you weren’t conscious at the time’ he said as he made his way over to check Neal’s newest injury.

‘This is my beautiful wife, Sara’ Neal said as he reached for her hand, still trying to temper her annoyance.

Sara rolled her eyes; it was going to take a hell of a lot more grovelling for her to forgive her foolhardy husband.

‘Ah, the lady who was on her way back from Chicago’ said Dr. Mercer as he recalled the circumstances of that night.

Sara looked on in surprise at the doctor’s awareness of the inner workings of their family life. He took Neal’s arm, inviting him to stand and move to the examination table.

‘Are you able to stand and get up on that table?’ he asked.

Neal nodded meekly as he pulled himself up with the doctor’s help.

‘So what happened here?’ he asked as he removed the gauze Neal had been clutching under his chin, revealing a gash almost two inches long.

‘I... slipped and hit my chin on a granite counter’ Neal mumbled, none too proudly as Sara looked on, concern returning at the sight of his injury.

‘Yeah, that’s a nasty little cut’ Dr. Mercer observed. ‘We’ll clean that up and have you stitched up in no time. So tell me, how’s that daughter of yours?’ he asked as he began to prepare the necessary gear to carry out the procedure.

Neal and Sara exchanged puzzled looks at the question.

‘I met her on that night and she was pretty shook up about the shooting; I told her she’d probably saved your life’ he said with a kind smile.

Sara’s demeanour softened at the doctor’s interest in their family. 

‘She’s doing pretty well, considering’ she answered as Neal smiled fondly.

So much had happened in the past couple of weeks and everything had occurred in rapid succession – June’s passing, the shooting, the funeral, Neal’s recovery. Hope was taking it all in stride, a credit to the strength of her character.

Neal’s cut was cleaned, anesthetized and stitched up and within twenty minutes, he and Sara were back in the waiting room where Peter stood to greet them.

‘Everything okay?’ he asked anxiously.

‘Yeah, it’s fine’ answered Neal, pointing to the fresh bandage on his chin. ‘Eight stitches.’

Peter looked up at Sara. ‘Look Sara, I’m really sorry this happened’ he said, his voice full of regret.

‘Let’s forget it’ she said as she reverted to a gentler version of herself. ’Thanks for getting him here, Peter.’

Now that Neal was okay, she’d begun to relax although her annoyance at the men’s stupidity continued to linger. 

Neal wanted to make good on his commitment to Liam and there was just enough time to get home, collect the kids and make it to their five thirty dinner reservations near the Garden - if they hurried. The threesome made their way out of the emergency department, all of them hoping it would be the last time they paid the place a visit for a very long time.

WCWCWC

Sara and Neal drove all the way back to White Plains to pick up the kids who were eagerly awaiting their arrival on the front porch. Raphael stood between them, tail wagging furiously, obviously under the mistaken impression he was going along on this outing. Hope put him back in the house and locked up before following her brother to the car where they took place in the back seat, eager to hear what had happened to their dad.

‘Here’s that clean shirt you asked for’ Hope said as she threw it up ahead to where her mom sat.

Details were scarce and the twosome was quick to deduce that the incident had caused some tension between their parents. They quickly moved on to safer subjects as they made their way back across the bridge. Sara had already had a go at Neal and there was nothing left to say; she decided it was time to take the high road. Why should Liam have to suffer her bad mood on his special night? 

When all was said and done, the important thing was that Neal was going to be all right. 

And he’d learned a valuable lesson: granite counters were very slippery indeed. 

TBC


	42. Chapter 42

‘So, how did the rest of your night go?’ Peter asked as he took a sip of his excellent espresso.

The only time he got to savour one these days was when Elizabeth wasn’t around; she was always on his case about his caffeine intake and he took advantage of the days he was at the gallery to indulge in a nice hot cup of his favourite caffeinated beverage.

‘You know, it turned out to be a really great night.’ 

Sitting around the gallery with Peter and making small talk while sharing a cup of coffee had become one of the highlights in Neal’s life. Being at the Raphael, surrounded by beautiful art, hobnobbing with the customers, sharing his extensive knowledge of the greats and hanging out with his best friend — what was there not to like? 

‘And the Rangers won!’ Peter added. Seemed he was always up on all the game scores.

‘They did! That was icing on the cake. But the best part was seeing Liam’s face. He was just... well, he was really happy we were all together’ Neal said with a satisfied smile. ‘You know, I’ve been noticing a lot of changes in him lately. He’s not our little boy anymore.’

Peter nodded in agreement. ‘I’ve noticed that too. The way he stepped up at the funeral to push Edna up the ramp... he’s just... well he’s a very thoughtful and discreet young man.’

‘Well, not so discreet when he’s rooting for his favourite hockey team’ Neal chuckled as he recalled how Liam practically lost his voice from cheering the night before.

‘Your chin looks pretty good... not so red. How does it feel?’ Peter asked as he scrutinized his best friend’s latest injury.

‘It’s sore but... ah, it’s my own fault so I’m not going to be getting much sympathy at home’ Neal admitted.

‘Has Sara forgiven you yet?’ Peter asked, recalling how she’d swooped in like a mad woman at the hospital.

‘Oh, you know Sara, her bark is worse than her bite’ Neal said, surprisingly unruffled. ‘She says what she has to say and then it’s done. I just have to remember to duck when she swings.’ 

Neal grew quiet for a moment. ‘You know, I’d never tell her this, but most of the time, she’s right.’

Peter raised his eyebrows as he took in what Neal had just said. He and Neal had gotten themselves into so many scrapes over the years and Elizabeth and Sara had always found a way to forgive them. 

‘Peter...’ Neal began, hesitating. ‘I need a favour.’

‘Anything, buddy, you know that’ Peter said as he looked intently at his friend. ‘Well, anything but holding you up so you can try to walk around the gallery.’

Neal smirked despite himself. ‘It’s about physio. It’s… it’s really intense when Sara comes to therapy with me... I know she just wants to be supportive but... sometimes I feel like, well, she hovers so much that I feel pressured.’

‘You want me to start taking you to therapy?’

‘Just for a couple of weeks. I want to surprise her for our anniversary and I thought if I could work on it without having her hovering all the time…’ Neal said, his voice faraway.

‘What? You want to take her dancing?’ Peter joked before realizing his comment wasn’t very funny... or appropriate.

Neal just looked at him wistfully as he toyed with the sides of his wheelchair. Taking Sara dancing for their anniversary would be a dream come true but it would have to wait another year. He could, however, still surprise her with whatever progress he’d be making between now and then.

‘Sorry buddy’ Peter said, realizing how insensitive his comment had been. ‘I just… I keep putting my foot in it.’

‘It’s okay. I don’t ever want you to stop teasing me, okay? I just want things back to normal as soon as possible.’

Peter grew thoughtful. He’d been putting off telling Neal about Hope’s visit the previous weekend. ’There’s something I need to give you a heads up on’ he said with apprehension.

Neal looked up, eyes curious.

‘Hope came to see me; she’s hell-bent on putting off school until January so she can stay behind and help with the gallery’ Peter confided.

‘NO!’ Neal shouted without hesitation. ‘That’s not going to happen.’

‘Neal, she’s really thought this through, she’s contacted the university and they have a January entrance date – and she’s checked that her scholarship won’t be affected’ Peter explained.

‘No, Peter!’ Neal repeated, adamant. ‘I’m not going to let her put off starting her life because of what happened to me.’

‘Neal, I think you should hear her out. I really think she’s doing this as much for herself as she’s doing it for you’ Peter said, his voice calm.

Sara and Neal had worked hard to save up enough money to send Hope to school in Pittsburgh. Neal had always dreamed of a formal education in the arts – he’d learned everything he knew through the school of hard knocks – and he wanted Hope to have all the advantages he’d never had.

He brooded as he thought of what Peter had just said. Hope had dreams and ambitions and talent to boot and all he’d ever wanted for his daughter was for her to live a happy, fulfilled life. If that meant letting her go, as hard as that was going to be, he was happy to do it.

Peter realized he had just dropped a bombshell on his best friend and he decided to pull back, giving him time to process what he’d just told him. Suddenly, the door to the gallery swung open and one of their regular customers walked in. Instantly, Neal reverted to his old self, mask firmly in place.

‘Mrs. Collins! What brings you by today?’ he said with a dazzling smile.

WCWCWC

‘I don’t know Neal, it doesn’t feel right’ Sara said into the phone.

‘Honey, he’s offered and we’re just ten minutes away from the hospital. That way, you can keep working until it’s time to pick me up’ Neal reasoned, having prepared his arguments prior to picking up the phone.

‘And you don’t feel like I’m deserting you?’ Sara asked, somewhat worried.

‘Of course not! It’s therapy, Sara. I’m in and out in forty-five minutes and that way, you don’t have to interrupt your day’ Neal said, the voice of calm and reason.

Sara wavered at the other end – she wanted to be there for Neal, no matter what but she could sure use the time to catch up on the mountain of paperwork that sat on her desk, staring back at her.

‘And you’re sure you’ll be okay if I only pick you up later this afternoon?’ she asked, starting to warm to the idea.

‘Positive’ Neal said, his voice clear. ‘There’s nothing to worry about; I learned my lesson yesterday, I won’t do anything stupid... I promise.’

He could feel he’d just about clinched the deal and he finally moved in for the kill.

‘Sara, sweetheart, I love you’ he crooned as he lowered his voice, something he knew Sara couldn’t resist. ‘You’ve been there every minute of every day since this all happened. Take a break and I’ll see you later. Okay?’

‘All right’ she finally relented. ‘But be careful okay?’

‘Always’ he whispered in his sexy Neal Caffrey voice.

WCWCWC

The second physiotherapy session went off a lot smoother than the first; for one thing, Neal knew what he was in for and his confidence was on the rise as he thought ahead to his wedding anniversary which was a mere two weeks away. Peter lingered nearby, alternating between watching Neal work and reading the sports section of the newspaper. It was impressive to see the strength and determination of these men and women as they fought to regain their independence following some unfortunate incident which had left them struggling to return to a normal existence.

‘So, are you going to tell me about that stylish gash under your chin?’ Clive asked as he put Neal through his paces.

Neal scoffed. His relationship with Clive was built on trust and although he could make up any number of stories about what had led to his injury, he decided to come clean and tell his physiotherapist the truth about his extracurricular activity and the lack of judgement that had led to the mishap.

‘Neal, this isn’t a game you know. If you try to rush things, it’ll all blow up in your face. It’s going to take some time before you’re back to normal and if you try to cut corners, you’ll only have to go back and do it all over again’ the young man said.

Although he knew there was wisdom in those words, Neal had always lacked patience. He’d taken shortcuts his whole life and he wanted his life back to normal. Now! He grunted as he continued to work on the large exercise ball, his legs beginning to ache from the exertion.

‘On Tuesday, they’ll do the sensitivity test again and we’ll see what your levels are up to’ Clive added.

‘I can feel my legs a lot more’ Neal said. ‘But I’ve been getting those tremors a lot too.’

‘That’s good, I told you. Don’t worry about those. Things are beginning to connect between your brain and your lower body. Just try to be patient.’

Clive helped Neal back into his chair momentarily and handed him his bottle of water.

‘There’s something else’ Neal admitted. ‘In two weeks, it’s our wedding anniversary and I want to surprise Sara.’

The young man listened as Neal continued to explain.

‘I want to be able to walk on my own and maybe... dance with her for a few seconds. Every year, we play the song from our wedding and we dance in our living room... I want to do that again this year.’ 

Clive let out a long slow breath. ‘That’s a pretty tall order.’

Neal's face crumpled.

‘Look, it’s not outside the realm of possibility if you keep working hard but I don’t think you should push yourself – maybe set your sights on something a little less... daunting.’

‘No! I really want to do this’ Neal insisted as he took another sip of water. ‘I just don’t want to fall on my face.’

‘Let’s keep working hard and see where it takes us, okay? One session at a time’ Clive said wisely.

It wasn’t quite the answer Neal had been hoping for but it would have to do for now. He knew he could do it if he worked hard and he was ready to put in the blood, sweat and tears to get there.

Peter watched with interest as Neal moved over to the bars, pulling himself out of his chair and preparing to take a short stroll. Except for his failed attempt the day before, Peter hadn’t seen Neal take a step since the shooting and he studied his friend’s face as he struggled to get his balance. 

‘Today, I’m going to get you to let go of the bars for a few seconds. Let’s see what your legs can do’ Clive was saying.

Neal nodded enthusiastically; this was progress. He held on for a moment, getting his balance, feeling his legs under him, supporting his weight.

‘When you feel that you’re legs are securely planted in place, I want you to let go of the bars. I’ve got you’ Clive said, as he placed his hands under Neal’s arms. 

Peter stared, mesmerized watching the great Neal Caffrey struggle to stand. He’d seen Neal do all kinds of physically challenging things over the years, not the least of which was the way he strutted with self-assurance and that annoying swagger that had always driven him nuts. Could this be the same man?

After a few seconds, Neal’s face contorted and giving all he had, he let go of the bars, feeling Clive’s arms steadying him.

‘I’m going to let you go now’ Clive said as he slowly removed his strong arms.

The world did not stop turning and Neal did not tumble to the ground but the moment was fleeting and after having counted to five, Clive returned his hands to Neal’s armpits and instructed him to place his hands to the bars to steady himself. 

Applause was heard nearby and Neal looked up to see Peter giving him a standing ovation and Neal bowed his head gracefully, grateful for the encouragement.

TBC


	43. Chapter 43

Sara lay in bed next to her husband, feeling his strong, comforting arms wrapped lovingly around her. He seemed to be in great spirits since she’d picked him up from work. They’d had a lovely family dinner and Neal had even managed to stay up until 10:00 - which was the latest he’d stayed up in recent memory.

‘So therapy was good?’ 

‘Yeah, more of the same, you know’ Neal said as he ran his hand longingly up and down Sara’s arm.

His confidence was back in full force and for the first time, as he’d stood unassisted for a few seconds earlier in the day, he’d been able to see the light at the end of the long tunnel. It was still a ways off but it was there, unmistakably, and Neal knew for sure he’d get there in the end, something he’d been having doubts about since the shooting.

He thought back to the two new pieces of equipment he’d managed to smuggle into the gallery and hide in the backroom: a sexy walker and a pair of fancy looking crutches. He’d been using both during his sessions with Clive and he was eager to keep practicing on his own, every chance he got. Surprisingly, Neal had found himself getting excited about the prospect of having methods of transportation that did not involve him sitting down - even though he’d mostly seen these kinds of devices while visiting June at the Marigold Nursing Home. Clive had been clear about not overexerting himself but he saw no reason Neal couldn’t use the contraptions daily to practice his walking, as long as he was supervised by someone and didn’t overdo it. This last bit had been explained in Peter’s presence and the ex-FBI agent had nodded in understanding. He had no intention of taking any chances with his best friend’s recovery and Neal knew he’d be watching him like a hawk.  
‘You seem... chipper’ Sara commented as she turned to look into his mischievous eyes.

‘I’m just happy to be in bed with my wife’ he said, his voice low. 

‘Is there a problem with that?’ he added as he poked her playfully in the ribs.

‘No problem whatsoever’ Sara chuckled in response, her eyes sparkling.

‘I’m really sorry I messed up yesterday’ he said as he suddenly turned serious.

The old Neal Caffrey would never have apologized for anything – that was part of the conman’s dogma. But since he’d been married to Sara Ellis, he’d learned that apologizing for his misdeeds always led to good things and frankly, it was usually well worth it.

‘I just worry about you, that’s all. I know I can be a little... intense’ she grudgingly admitted as she ran her finger gently over the stitches on his chin.

Neal grinned as she spoke, biting his tongue as a few choice snappy retorts came to mind. Truth was, her ‘intensity’ was exactly what he loved most about her - with all the good and the bad that entailed. The very characteristics that most turned him on about his wife were also the ones that drove him bat shit crazy and he realized that Sara was still everything he’d ever wanted – even before he’d realized what he wanted. He moved in to place a lingering kiss on her lips and she noticed how he managed to turn more easily in the bed now, his movements more fluid and much less of a struggle than the week before.

‘Look at you, moving in on me like...’ she began.

‘Like I used to?’ he replied as he let his lips linger on her neck suggestively.

She laughed again, that deep throaty laugh that did things to Neal’s man parts. 

‘Like you used to...’ she repeated as her lips met his.

His hands began to move naughtily against her body and Sara turned to face him in the bed, delighting in his warm touch and the sound of his deep voice in her ear.

‘Do you think the kids are asleep?’ he whispered impishly as he continued to move along her neck, her shoulder, down to her breasts.

Although they hadn’t had intercourse since before the shooting – and probably wouldn’t for a while yet – they were just as enthusiastic about being in each others’ arms as they’d ever been and Neal was enjoying the noticeable improvement in his body’s reaction to his wife’s touch, and he felt himself stirring in response. 

‘Hope’s still not home...’ she whispered although she didn’t seem to care whether the kids were asleep or not and her arms reached around her husband’s neck, pulling him even closer as her lips found his once more. 

A loud, thundering noise was heard in the distance, unmistakably their son.

‘Mom? Have you seen my basketball sneakers anywhere?’ Liam called out as he rumbled down the stairs.

So much for the sanctity of the matrimonial bed; Neal and Sara stared at each other, disappointed, concluding that the move back to their own bedroom couldn’t come soon enough.

‘Rain check’ Neal muttered as he reluctantly pulled away.

Just as Liam appeared, the front door opened and within seconds, Hope appeared. The couple’s quiet intimacy had vanished, making way for an impromptu family gathering in the middle of the family room.

‘Check the garage...’ Sara called out to Liam as Hope let herself fall on the edge of her parents’ bed followed by Raffie who’d caught on that there was some sort of family shindig going on.

‘Off!’ Neal said sternly, shooing the dog away.

Raffie obeyed, making his way to Neal’s side of the bed and lying there on the floor, compliant, as his master glared at him momentarily before gently running his hand through his fur.

Liam disappeared on the hunt for his shoes but Hope remained seated, looking expectantly from her mom to her dad. There was obviously something on her mind and she finally broke the contact, her eyes dropping to her lap as she spoke.

‘I need to talk to you guys about something’ she said, her voice quiet. ‘But I want you to promise not to get upset.’

Sara’s mind went immediately to the obvious concerns of any parent with a teenage daughter: unwanted pregnancy, wrecking the car, confession of some forbidden pursuit... Neal, however, braced himself for what he knew was coming. Ever since Peter had confided in him about Hope’s plans, he’d been waiting for her to come clean to them and he mentally summoned up the long litany of arguments he’d been preparing in response to her proposal. 

Sara and Neal both sat up in bed, leaning up against the back of the couch as they turned their attention to their daughter.

‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking...’ she began, ‘...about starting school in the fall.’

Neal took a deep breath, keeping from cutting her off before she’d actually laid out her plan.

‘And I think it would be better for me if I started school in January instead’ she blurted out.

‘Why?’ Sara asked spontaneously, not having had the benefit of the heads up Peter had given her husband. 

Neal just stared at his daughter, willing himself to give her the chance to explain.

‘I’m just... I need some time after everything that’s happened. I would really love to work at the gallery full time for a few months – you know, help out...’

Neal couldn’t hold back any longer, seeing his opening and he jumped right in. 

‘Hope, we don’t need your help at the gallery. You have your own life to live...’ he said before she interrupted, becoming agitated. 

‘Dad, I don’t think you understand. I want to do this, no, I need to do this... When you were.... hurt, I was so scared. I thought you were going to die in my arms that night and that I’d never again get the chance to be with you, talk to you, paint with you, argue with you...’ she said, her eyes filling with tears.

Neal listened as his little girl bared her soul, sharing her deepest thoughts and fears.

‘And then you pulled through and I realized that you and Mom, you both mean so much to me and that I would regret it if I didn’t show you just how much.’

‘But honey…’ Neal said as he sat up, taking her hand ‘…you can’t live in fear of what might happen. This is the normal course of things, you going off to university to start your own life. Mom and I will always be here for you, whenever you need us; that’s never going to change but it’s not your job to take care of us.’

Sara leaned in, her hand on Neal’s shoulder in a show of solidarity as he spoke; he was expressing her thoughts exactly.

‘I know that, Dad but... this is still fresh and I need a little more time before I move on. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me and when I leave for Pittsburgh, everything will change. A few months isn’t going to make a difference but I’ll feel like I’m doing things in my own good time’ she said, her voice full of emotion.

Sara looked at her little girl and tears began to well up in her eyes as she listened to the wisdom in her voice – sometimes, she felt like Hope was the adult in their relationship, so poised and thoughtful.

Neal looked over at his wife, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. There was no point in overreacting, Sara needed some time to process what Hope had just shared — just as he had.

‘What do you say we all sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow?’ Neal said in a show of uncharacteristic restraint.

Hope nodded and stood to kiss both her parents goodnight.

‘I love you’ she said to each of them as she prepared to go up to her room.

‘C’mon Raffie!’ she called out as she walked away.

Neal and Sara resumed their previous position, locked in each other’s arms but for now at least, their amorous pursuits had given way to other, more pressing concerns.

WCWCWC

On Friday afternoon, Neal and Sara pointed the car in the direction of Manhattan for their two o’clock appointment at McGuinty and Jones, LLB for the reading of June’s will. They were to meet up with Lorna and Marion and her husband Mort who were scheduled to leave the next day to return to Europe. 

The Caffreys drove to the appointment in silence. They were still mulling over Hope’s bombshell from the night before, each of them processing the information in their own way and forming an opinion on the subject. 

Although they had resumed their ‘normal’ lives, as unusual as they were for the time being, June was still in Neal’s thoughts on a daily basis and he looked forward to seeing the Ellington sisters whom he hadn’t talked to since the day of the funeral. 

The firm’s offices were located not too far from June’s home and Sara easily found a parking space on a side street. She moved to the trunk of the car to pull out Neal’s wheelchair and she helped him settle into Edna’s welcoming arms. He was looking a lot more agile and he needed very little help to shift his weight in and out of the chair these days. Sara was looking forward to a time when Edna’s services would no longer be required.

Both women were sitting in the posh waiting room when Neal and Sara arrived. Mort stood to shake Neal’s hand and the sisters rose to hug him, then Sara as they all settled in to wait.

‘Neal, I just want to say that whatever Mom’s wishes were…well, that’s more that okay with us’ Lorna said mysteriously as Neal looked on with a frown.

He’d never given much thought to what June’s last wishes might be; he’d had the privilege of having this wonderful woman in his life for all those years and that in and of itself, was all he’d ever wanted.

WCWCWC

An hour later, Sara and Neal sat in the car in stunned silence as they thought back to Derek McGuinty’s words as he read June Ellington’s last will and testament. June had seen fit to leave a third of everything she owned to Neal, including his share of the mansion on Riverside Drive.

Lorna’s words rang in Neal’s ears as he realized she must have had an inkling of the secrets hidden between the pages of June’s will when she’d uttered them upon their arrival. He was totally bowled over by June’s generosity and yet, somewhat uncomfortable at the unexpected windfall her death had created.

They’d been driving in silence for a while when Neal finally spoke up. ‘That’s almost five million dollars’ he uttered, not quite believing his own words.

‘What are we going to do with... all that’ Sara said as she drove, even slower than usual.

‘I don’t know...’ Neal replied. ‘It’s just... so overwhelming.’

Of course, Neal had lived the life of Riley for many years in his youth, living off the ill-gotten profits of his crimes and he’d had no compunction about living the high live back then. But since he’d left that world behind, he’d lived much like everyone else, paying taxes, scrimping and saving for the things that were important to him and Sara and over time, he’d learned to appreciate having to work hard for what they had. This seemed... well, it felt wrong somehow to profit financially from someone’s passing although he knew that June had wanted him to have this opportunity. When they’d been in the planning stages for the gallery, she’d tried on numerous occasions to give him the necessary start-up capital but he and Sara had been adamant that they wanted to do it the old fashioned way and, although they were grateful for the offer, they’d steadfastly refused June’s help.

‘I think we just need to let this sink in’ Neal said as he looked over at his wife. ’One thing’s for sure, it has to be something worthy of June’s memory, something she would be proud of.’

‘Well, the kids’ education comes to mind, I know that was important to her’ Sara said as she approached the bridge back to Westchester County.

Neal nodded; that was true enough but the amount of money involved was overwhelming and he knew that it needed to go towards something meaningful that would withstand the test of time. Even in death, it seemed, June continued to challenge Neal to be the best man he could possibly be.

TBC


	44. Chapter 44

The family room of the Caffrey home had somehow devolved into an out-and-out jumble of clutter as the days progressed. Between the hide-a-bed being not so ‘hidden’ half the time, Neal’s clothing and personal effects scattered around the room and the kids’ stuff slowly but surely beginning to reappear, the place was jam packed and the latest addition to the chaos wasn’t helping in that regard. 

Neal had been inspired to start a new painting and Sara was thrilled that he was getting back to his previous creative pursuits. Regardless of the inconvenience of having all his art paraphernalia scattered around the family room, she hadn’t hesitated for a moment when Neal had asked if Liam could bring up his easel from the basement studio.

Neal sat in the middle of the confusion, seemingly unperturbed by the chaos and got himself situated in front of the blank canvas, a picture of June clutched in his hands. Ever since the visit to the lawyer’s office two days before, she’d been on his mind constantly as he tried to connect with the essence of June Ellington and the unexpected windfall which had come their way. He and Sara had discussed it at length and had decided to take a small portion of the inheritance for the kid’s university education and a modest slush fund for the gallery. They’d agreed that the bulk of the money would go to the ‘June Ellington School of Art’ although the details of the project were sketchy; all they knew was that the focus of the school would be on helping underprivileged kids gain access to the world of visual arts. Neal had put in a call to Cindy, who was still curator of the Devonshire Gallery, to see if they could meet up and bounce around a few ideas. Like him, she was a true lover of the arts and she knew her grandmother better than anyone else. He had something he wanted to run by her and he was hopeful she would be willing to hear him out.

Liam entered the family room, his smart phone in hand and he glanced over at his dad as he attempted to adjust the height on the easel with a screwdriver, an endeavour he was clearly struggling with.

‘Hey Dad, can I give you a hand with that?’ he asked as he made his way closer.

Neal looked up, exasperated at his clumsiness as he tried to work from a sitting position. He was getting better at accepting help these days and he just shrugged in response handing the screwdriver over to his son.

‘I’m just at an awkward angle’ he muttered.

‘No problem, it’ll just take me a second’ said the young man as he began to fiddle with the easel.

He glanced at his father, noticing the look of frustration on his face.

‘You know Dad, you’ll be back to being your usual incompetent self with tools in no time’ he said, tongue in cheek.

Neal had never been much of a handyman although he’d learned an awful lot about small household repairs since they’d lived in their house. Whenever things got a little too much for his limited expertise, he could always call on his neighbour and friend Jeff Mason or better still, Peter, who was much more skilled at these kinds of household chores.

He chuckled at Liam’s comment and watched as his son expertly adjusted the height of the easel to his current eye level.

‘Liam, I need your help with something else’ he said, thinking ahead to the upcoming weekend.

‘Sure, what is it?’ asked his son, sitting on the couch and coming eye to eye with his dad.

‘Friday is our wedding anniversary’ Neal said, dropping his voice to not much more than a whisper. 

He glanced around to make sure Sara wasn’t within earshot. ‘And I’ve got a couple of surprises for your mom.’

Liam listened, his eyes wide open.

‘I’ve been holding back on her’ Neal continued. ‘I think I’ll be able to walk a few steps on my own by then and I’m... hoping I can dance with her.’

‘Really?’ Liam said a little too loudly.

Neal shushed him. ’It wouldn't be more than a few steps but… well, I need a wingman, someone to set things up, take care of the music and have my chair ready for when I’m done’ Neal continued, an obvious look of excitement and anticipation in his bright blue eyes.

‘Hey, I’m your man Dad’ exclaimed Liam. ‘Whatever you need.’

‘All right!’ Neal answered. ‘I’m still getting all the details worked out but I’ll get back to you.’

Liam stood to leave and took a few steps before turning back to face his father.

‘Big game tonight, you want watch it with me?’ he asked, knowing full well the answer.

‘Duh!’ Neal said with a chuckle. ‘Seven o’clock, right?’

Liam nodded as he sauntered away and Neal returned to the blank canvas that sat in front of his eyes – just like his project, he could make it anything he wanted and he sighed at the huge responsibility that he’d been tasked with.

WCWCWC

‘Hi honey, what are you up to?’ Sara asked as she stepped into Hope’s bedroom.

‘Just texting Cam. I’m going to meet up with him at the gallery later’ she answered as she put her phone down, inviting her mom to sit on the edge of her bed.

‘I need your help with something’ Sara blurted out.

‘Sure, what’s up?’ 

‘Well, it’s our anniversary on Friday and Aunt Elizabeth is planning a dinner party for us on Saturday night’ Sara explained.

Hope sat up, listening. The only thing she loved more than getting a surprise was helping someone plan for one.

‘And I want to keep it a surprise from Daddy’ she continued. ‘I’m going to need you to go over there on Saturday and help her with all the preparations so he doesn’t get suspicious.’

‘Yeah, sure. So what is this for you guys... 18 right?’ she asked as she did a quick mental calculation. 

‘Incredible, huh?’ Sara said, suddenly looking love struck.

‘What was Dad like back then?’ Hope asked, interested in what a younger Neal might have been like.

Sara laughed. ‘Oh, honey! Just like now, he was gorgeous and full of mischief. I used to be on his case all the time about staying on the straight and narrow but, the truth is’ she said as she spoke more quietly, ‘I’ve always loved the rogue in him.’

Hope listened intently. Her dad had never been anything but just that... her dad, a devoted, caring man she could always count on. But she could see the stars in her mom’s eyes whenever she looked at him – a look she’d recognized in the mirror a couple of times whenever she thought about Cameron Armstrong.

‘He used to get himself into trouble all the time...’ Sara continued.

‘Used to?’ Hope interjected with a laugh.

‘Yeah, well even more than he does now’ Sara said. ‘I love your dad because he’s a loving and caring man and he’d take a bullet for someone he loves.’

She stopped suddenly, realizing what she’d just said.

Hope stared up at her mom, her eyes wide, tears beginning to form.

‘I’m sorry, sweetie, I don’t know why I used that expression’ said Sara as she gently touched her daughter’s face. 

‘You’re right though’ agreed Hope as she wiped her eyes. ‘He’s always been there for me, since day one.’

Sara nodded, thinking back to the moment all those years ago when they’d decided to make a go of it, the moment when she realized Neal would always be there for her and their baby daughter. She reflected briefly on the first few days following Hope’s birth and that horrible twenty-four hour period where Neal had disappeared as he’d totally freaked out about his ability to do right by her and how he’d finally returned, never to leave her side again. 

‘Anyway…’ Sara said, shaking off the nostalgia. ‘I’ll let you know about helping out Auntie El. Oh, and could you give me a hand with choosing a gift for your dad?’

Sara was hopeless at gift-buying, something that wasn’t lost on her daughter and Hope was marginally better – together they would figure it out.

‘Sure, Mom. We can go shopping after school some night this week.’

Sara stood to leave as Hope interjected.

‘Mom, you know this thing about university?...’ she said.

Sara stopped dead in her tracks – she knew how Hope was feeling and she and Neal had been discussing their daughter’s proposal for the past few days, not really seeing eye to eye.

‘This is not some pity thing, Mom, I really, really want to do this.’

Mother and daughter looked at each other and Sara nodded in agreement – she got it, Hope needed to do this for herself more than anything else.

‘Will you try to get Daddy to see that?’ she continued as her mom nodded in understanding.

There was no logical explanation as to why we did certain things in life – the heart knew what the heart knew - and Sara was aware of that more than anyone.

WCWCWC

Tuesday rolled around and as well as a therapy session, Neal was scheduled for another follow up appointment with Dr. Miller - something he had no hope in hell of keeping Sara from attending with him, nor would he have wanted to. He was making great progress with walking and at his last session, he’d taken three steps unattended before he had to grab onto the bars on either side of him to keep him from losing his balance.

Unbeknownst to Sara and under Peter’s watchful eye, Neal was practicing on a daily basis while at the gallery and he was making great strides. He was now managing to stand on his own for up to ten seconds at a time while the rest of the time, he navigated the halls of the Raphael with the help of Bertha the walker or the crutches Clive had loaned him. 

He’d been keeping his progress from his wife and didn’t want to ruin the surprise before its time and he’d enlisted Clive’s help in making that happen. If Sara hung around, she would witness his amazing progress and he didn’t want that to happen until the time was right.

‘Sara, can I talk to you for a minute?’ Clive asked as he pulled her aside upon their arrival.

‘Sure. Is there a problem?’ she asked in her usual glass half-empty kind of way.

‘No, no’ he said, letting his voice drop to a murmur. ‘It’s just that I find that Neal does better when he’s not being watched by his loved ones while he’s working. I said the same thing to Peter last week.’

‘Oh, yeah I could see that. Neal is a very proud man’ she said.

‘Do you think you could...’ Clive began.

‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll head down to the cafeteria for a while’ she said, pointing down the hall.

‘Thanks’ Clive said with a shy smile.

He hated lying but he was a sentimental fool deep down and he’d somehow let Neal convince him that his little deception was the least he could do to assist in the course of true love. 

‘All right, Neal. You owe me one’ he said with a sigh as he returned to his patient.

WCWCWC

The visit to Dr. Miller’s office was more of the same; the findings were more than encouraging as she read back Neal’s result from his latest test.

‘Wow, Neal! You are doing great’ she said as she glanced at his chart.

Neal cringed; he didn’t want her revealing too much regarding his phenomenal progress in front of Sara.

‘Your numbers are up to 53% for your legs and an amazing 74% in your hips and pelvis. You must be really feeling that, huh?’ 

‘Yeah, well you know, it’s slow but steady’ Neal said in an attempt to downplay what the doctor had just said.

Sara listened, a huge smile on her face. She hadn’t noticed much of a change in Neal’s mobility but this had to be good news.

‘What about therapy, do they have you walking yet?’ she asked.

Neal sighed. He’d just finished a marathon of ten steps before he had to cry uncle and he was secretly thrilled at what he’d managed to accomplish.

‘We’re working on standing’ he fibbed as he glanced uneasily over at Sara.

‘Well, I’m sure that will pay off in no time’ said the doctor. ’Just keep doing what you’re doing.’

Neal nodded innocently. ‘Oh, I will’ he said.

TBC


	45. Chapter 45

‘Well, that was encouraging news’ Sara said as they slowly made their way to the exit.

‘Yeah, it was....’ Neal echoed as he suddenly stopped in his tracks. ‘Darn!’

‘What is it?’ Sara asked as she stood alongside him.

‘I forgot my workout bag in Dr. Miller’s office’ he said as he turned around and started to head back in the direction they’d just come from.

‘I’ll get it’ Sara offered.

‘No, that’s okay’ Neal insisted. ‘Why don’t you go get the car and pick me up out front. I’ll just be a minute.’ 

‘All right... I’ll meet you at the main door’ she said as she watched him expertly roll away.

Neal made his way back down the corridor towards Dr. Miller’s office, his heart beating rapidly in response to the small con he’d just pulled on his wife. He had something to ask the good doctor that he didn’t want her to overhear and he was just thankful that she hadn’t noticed that he’d ‘forgotten’ the bag in plain sight right by the desk in the doctor’s office.

‘Neal! Did you forget something?’ Dr. Miller asked as he reappeared at the door to her office.

‘Yeah...’ he answered sheepishly as he pointed ‘...I left my bag.’ 

She leaned down to pick it up and hand it to him and when her smiling eyes met his, she detected something there; after a few weeks, she was getting to know her handsome patient. She waited for a moment for him to speak up.

‘Actually... there was something else’ he finally admitted as he returned her gaze.

She perched herself on the edge of her desk and waited for whatever it was Neal didn’t feel he could say in front of his wife.

‘It’s our wedding anniversary this Friday’ he began, his speech slowing down as he became unsure as to how to put forward his request.

‘Hum… Congratulations?’ she said, wondering what this was all leading to.

Neal chuckled nervously. ‘I was kind of hoping... that I could... you know, hit one out of the park.’

She looked quizzically for a second before clueing into what he was trying to say.

‘Oh! Got it’ she said with a decisive nod. ‘And how are things going in that department?’ 

‘Pretty good, I think. I haven’t completely... tested the equipment’ he said shyly.

‘And you’d like a little ‘insurance policy’?’ 

She was no slouch.

‘Yeah, I’d just hate to strike out...’ he said, continuing with the baseball analogy.

‘I can help with that’ she said as she stood to grab her prescription pad. ‘Take one of these – and only one – about two hours before you... step up to the plate.’

Neal nodded as he took the piece of paper from her hand and buried it deep in his shirt pocket. He turned to leave with a mumbled thank you.

‘Oh, and slugger…’ she said with a wink. ‘Swing for the fences.’

WCWCWC

Neal had agreed to meet Cindy at her office at the gallery where she worked. The Devonshire Gallery was a well respected establishment which had been around for over thirty years and as curator, Cindy was responsible for all new acquisitions as well as overseeing the exhibits that were held within their walls. After finishing up university with a masters in Fine Arts, she’d worked for a while as a struggling artist, finally recognizing that, although she had a great eye for art, she had none of the talent to generate great works and she’d settled in within the arts community, having moved around several galleries in Manhattan before settling in at the Devonshire eight years before. 

Cindy and Neal had always been great collaborators; they had a lot of respect for each other’s judgement and shared similar tastes when it came to beautiful art. They’d kept in touch over the years, their connection unmistakably June, and Cindy had even helped Neal with some creative decisions early on when he’d opened the Raphael. Today, however, he had something much more personal on his mind as he made his way to the Devonshire with Sara by his side.

‘You sure you’re okay on your own?’ she asked as she helped him settle into Edna.

Strictly speaking, Neal could probably get around with just Bertha these days but he didn’t want to ruin the surprise; the big reveal was a mere days away and he wasn’t about to let the cat out of the bag prematurely.

‘How about I call you when I’m done’ he said as he reached up to pull her in for a kiss.

‘I’m meeting El for lunch and then I’ll just do a little shopping while I wait for you’ she said as she glanced around the neighbourhood, rife with boutiques and clothing stores.

Neal just rolled his eyes. A ‘little shopping’ could mean a tidy sum on their Visa bill.

‘Go nuts!’ he said with a mischievous smile.

Cindy was waiting in the lobby when he arrived and she bent down to greet him with a kiss. Now in her forties, she had all the beauty and elegance of her beloved grandmother and she moved like a cat, stealthily and gracefully.

‘Thanks for coming all this way, Neal. I’ve got some pieces coming in this afternoon and I didn’t want to wander too far away’ she explained.

‘No problem. It gives me a chance to see you in your natural habitat’ he said with a grin.

‘Well, this is it!’ she exclaimed as they slowly made their way through an exhibit of early 1900’s Inuit art.

Neal took his time, admiring as he went, following Cindy to a more remote part of the gallery, where the offices where housed. As galleries went, the Devonshire was a large venue, hosting exhibits from all over the world. The Raphael was small potatoes in comparison but it was all his and it reflected his take on the world of art, complete with his fondness for sharing his passion through the art appreciation classes and the kids’ art classes they offered. 

He’d seen the popularity of their classes skyrocket in the 18 months since the Raphael had opened its doors and the gallery had managed to break even despite the fact that he and Hope couldn’t resist sponsoring some talented kids whose families didn’t have the means to pay for the classes. These budding artists were often referred to them by perceptive teachers who saw raw talent and wanted the kids to have an opportunity to build on their intrinsic skills - and the Raphael was gaining a reputation as a teaching establishment which was open to philanthropic pursuits. 

Neal had always wanted to do more for this clientele and he and Sara had immediately agreed that an art school for underprivileged youth would be a fitting and unique way of honouring June, bringing together her love of the arts and her love of young people. But Neal knew that as generous as the inheritance was, after they’d found a place and fixed it up and ran it for a couple of years, the well would eventually run dry and he had to find a way to fund the project indefinitely, hence his idea for Cindy’s possible involvement in the project.

‘So, how are you doing with... everything?’ Cindy asked pointing vaguely to his wheelchair as she took a seat in her well appointed office.

‘Great!’ he answered, surprised at his response.

He was doing great, his progress phenomenal, and as he prepared to fully resume his life, he was pleased to be returning to his previously optimistic view of the world.

‘I think I have an idea why you’re here’ she continued ‘Does this have anything to do with Grandma’s inheritance?’

Neal raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

‘It’s a lot of money, isn’t it?’ she said, a faraway look in her eyes.

She herself had received a fair amount of the inheritance from her mom following the reading of the will and she was relieved that she and her husband would have the means to send their kids off to school when the time came.

‘It is. But for what I have in mind, I’ll need a steady flow of revenue’ he admitted.

Cindy looked at him curiously; whatever Neal was about to propose, he’d most certainly given it a lot of thought. She knew him well enough to know he would never decide anything of this magnitude on a whim – the stakes were much too high.

‘You know, we’ve been offering art classes at the Raphael and the demand is through the roof’ he began. ‘We don’t have the space or the resources to meet the demand.’

Cindy listened as he spoke, intrigued.

‘Sometimes, well often, Hope and I get requests from a school asking if we can sponsor a student who is showing promise but can’t afford the classes. We can’t always say yes...’ he said, then paused. ‘...I’d like to make it so we can start saying yes all the time.’ 

Her face lit up as he spoke, the notion of an art school for underprivileged kids an obvious winner in her eyes.

‘Neal, I think you’ve hit the nail right on the head. Grandma would have loved that!’ she exclaimed.

Neal shrugged shyly; he’d been hoping for just that reaction.

‘If you’re looking for my blessing, you’ve got it... unequivocally’ she continued with a smile.

‘Ah, well that’s where you’re wrong Cindy’ Neal said with a sneaky smirk. ‘I want a lot more than that from you.’

WCWCWC

Sara arrived just as Elizabeth did, meeting up right in front of the nearby Black Cat Café.

‘Hey!’ they said simultaneously in greeting as they hugged.

‘Thanks for coming all the way out here’ said Sara as she held the door open for her best friend.

‘No problem, I love this place’ El said as they were shown to a table on the terrace.

It was a beautiful early June day, the sun gaining strength, the long winter and lazy spring finally behind them. With the goings on over the past few weeks, Sara and Elizabeth hadn’t had much time to see each other and there was plenty to catch up on.

‘So, tell me’ Sara began. ‘Have you been seeing Peter at all these days?’

Elizabeth laughed in response. Although Peter had been working at the gallery for a while, the last few weeks he had stepped into the breach, taking the reins as Neal healed from his injury. He hadn’t been around the house much and she was secretly pleased that he was focussed on something other than mindless (and often unnecessary) home repairs.

‘Well, he’s stopped trying to fix stuff that doesn’t need fixing’ she admitted as Sara joined in with mirth.

‘I guess Neal’s injury will have contributed to something good’ she said wistfully.

‘So, listen’ El said as she morphed into event planner mode and pulled a Burke Premiere Events folder out of her purse. ‘I’ve got all the details for Saturday night.’

Sara shook her head – only El could take a simple request to host a few close friends and turn into a gala event.

WCWCWC

‘Wow!’ Cindy said in response to Neal’s proposal. ‘I like it but... I really need to run this by Jonas.’ 

‘I ... completely understand. I wouldn’t make an important decision like this without discussing it with Sara either’ he said as he prepared to leave.

Cindy rose to accompany him out, her pace slower than earlier, not quite ready to end the conversation they’d begun.

‘And you want to get going when?’ she asked, thoughtful.

‘I’ve seen a couple of places I’d like to check out. We could ask for a viewing whenever you’re ready.’

She nodded hesitantly. Neal’s proposal to set up a charitable foundation for the art school and have her run it appealed to her. Although it would be a huge responsibility to find corporate sponsors willing to donate, it was a job she was uniquely suited for considering her knowledge of the art scene in New York and beyond. She’d also been connected to her mother’s many charities and had all the contacts required to keep funds flowing to the new school. Neal was right; there was plenty of money for the setup and running of the school for a few years but the cost of such an operation in downtown Manhattan would quickly become prohibitive if they didn’t find a regular source of revenue to fund the program.

Neal had suggested she come to work for him, as head of the foundation, while he saw to the administration of the school, teaching classes himself – something he absolutely loved – and training and supporting the teaching staff in his unique vision for the new establishment. He and Sara had laid in bed the night before, allowing themselves to dream well into the future. When the time came, this could all be Hope’s and Liam’s and Neal could see his daughter as the future director of the school, taking over from him if that was what she aspired to do. The notion that the ‘June Ellington School of Art’ could live on for decades was exciting and rewarding; a fitting legacy for a woman who had left her mark on the world with her kindness and compassion.

‘Give me a couple of days to think about it’ Cindy said as she hugged Neal.

He looked into her eyes and in that moment he knew – she was in, all he had to do was wait for her to realize it.

TBC


	46. Chapter 46

‘Wooohoo!’ Sara heard from downstairs.

‘What was that?’ Emily Ellis-Foster asked at the other end of the phone line.

‘The Rangers must have scored’ Sara responded as she lay on her bed.

‘Are you sure you have time to pick me up at the airport on Saturday?’ asked Emily.

‘I was going to send Hope to get you if that’s okay. I’m trying to keep Neal from finding it out about it’ Sara said as she stretched out after a long day at work.

‘Sounds good. My flight gets in at 1:30.’

‘And you don’t mind heading over to the Burkes so Neal doesn’t find out you’re in town?’ Sara asked.

‘Of course not. Elizabeth’s already called and given me some jobs to do...’ her sister responded, laughing.

‘Now, that does sound like El’ Sara admitted.

‘All right, so I’ll see you at the party’ said Emily before signing off.

The surprise was shaping up to be the major social event of the season. Of course Sara should have known that would happen the minute she asked Elizabeth Burke to host. She made her way downstairs, the television blaring as she heard Neal, Mozzie and Liam cheering loudly. She was starting to fade and she was looking forward to the guys vacating the couch so she and Neal could hit the sack. She looked fondly over at her husband, totally relaxed as he sat between Mozzie and Liam, enjoying the moment seemingly without a care in the world. She was glimpsing more and more unguarded moments like these – moments of the old Neal peeking through, the man who enjoyed life and lived in the moment. She stood in front of the threesome with a crooked smile and crossed her arms.

‘Is it the second half yet?’ she asked, as usual getting her sports terminology mixed up but really not caring.

Mozzie opened his mouth to correct her and Neal put an arm out to stop him. He’d tried for twenty years to teach Sara about sports and he’d given up a long time ago.

‘It is’ Neal declared, looking at the television screen showing a little over six minutes left in the third period. ‘Tired?’

She nodded as Neal poked Liam in the ribs, urging him to free up some space on the couch for his mom.

‘Come and sit with us’ he said as he opened up his arms to her. ‘You can watch the rest of the... quarter.’ 

Sara shook her head at him and grinned. She knew he was making fun of her – she must have gotten things wrong, again – but, in that moment she didn’t care and she walked over letting herself fall on the couch between her husband and her son enjoying the moment as both of them put a loving arm around her.

WCWCWC

Peter looked up from the boring invoices he was dealing with and spotted Neal as he stood from the stool where he’d been working and with barely a hand on the counter top to steady himself, walked over to grab Bertha who was waiting nearby. He’d been noticing Neal’s confidence growing daily when it came to walking with very little support and he smiled as he realized that it was just a question of time before things were thankfully back to normal. 

‘So Sara was okay with me taking you to therapy again today?’ Peter asked as Neal turned to face him.

‘I’ve got her convinced that it’s a hassle for her to come all the way from Sterling Bosch when you’re right here and we’re only a few minutes away’ Neal said as he grabbed a bunch of receipts and walked them over to Peter’s desk in the corner.

‘And was Clive able to give you an extra session tomorrow as well?’ 

It was Thursday and Neal’s special evening for Sara was just a day away. He wanted to get all the practice he could before then and he was feeling confident that he would be able to carry out his little surprise as planned. 

‘Yeah. He’s been amazing’ Neal said with a smile.

Clive had become a confidant over the course of the past few weeks as Neal had shared his concerns and apprehensions. The young man had shown just the right balance of caution and encouragement, sometimes reminding Neal to slow down while at other times cheering him on.

By the time they made their way to the rehab centre, Neal was in even better spirits. He had finally accepted that slow and steady wins the race and over the past week, the gains he’d managed to make had been spectacular. He hadn’t wanted to tempt fate and he’d followed Clive’s directions to the letter, hoping to cross the finish line on Friday evening. 

The young man was waiting for him when they arrived, holding the door open as Neal walked in pushing Bertha along.

‘Hey Neal!’ Clive said in greeting as the two men stepped into the bustling physiotherapy room.

‘With all this talk of surprises for your anniversary, it’s my turn to pull something on you’ he said as Neal settled in to begin his workout.

‘We’re concentrating on walking today and you’ he said as he put his hand on Neal’s shoulder ‘are ready to walk on your own.’

Neal looked furtively from Clive to Peter, his eyes excited at the prospect of being able to walk into Sara’s open arms under his own steam. The usual strength building exercises were set aside in favour of getting Neal’s confidence up to the necessary level for him to carry out the long-awaited feat without risk of injury. 

Clive settled Neal at one end of the long narrow mat with bars on either side and instructed him to stand on his own, leaving the safety of the walker behind. Neal had done this on many occasions, standing for increasingly long periods of time without holding on to anything or anyone. Although he barely held on to the bars for support anymore when he walked, up until this point he had let his hands linger on them for confidence, grabbing on as needed – but today, he was going all the way.

Clive stood halfway down, about six feet from Neal and instructed him to keep his hands by his side and start slowly making his way down. 

Neal’s eyes shone as he realized that this was it – the ultimate test and what he’d been working for all this time. He took a deep breath and looked down towards the young man who stood with his arms outstretched, inviting him to walk towards him. Neal hesitated for a brief instant, his hands instinctively reaching to grab onto the bars as he willed them back down and he began the long slow walk towards Clive who stood waiting for him with a large grin on his face.

Peter looked on, holding his breath and hoping Neal was truly ready for this important step (no pun intended) in his long rehabilitation. He knew what this would mean to his best friend, the confidence he would gain from just a few steps unattended – walking towards a life of independence and greater freedom. 

‘If you need to hold on, the bars are right there Neal’ Clive reminded him as Neal prepared to move.

He could feel his legs strong and steady beneath him and with his eyes fixed on his goal, he took a first tentative step as his confidence began to increase. The first step turned into the second and then the third and within a few seconds, he’d made his way to where Clive stood noticing the young man continuing to back away, urging him to continue even further.

After a dozen or so steps, Neal began to get excited and his concentration was broken for a moment as his hand reached instinctively for support. He began to giggle uncontrollably. He could hear applause, noticing that a few of the other patients had stopped what they were doing, cheering him on and Neal grinned widely as he realized what he’d just accomplished.

WCWCWC

‘Can we stop at Sam and Lydia’s place and drop this stuff off?’ Neal asked as they left the rehab centre to return to the gallery.

‘Sure. What is it?’

Now that Neal had begun to master the art of walking, he needed to move on to the other surprises he had planned for his wife. 

‘I got Sara a new outfit and Lydia’s going to make sure she gets it right before she leaves the office tomorrow.’

Peter scoffed; how come Neal always came up with these grand romantic gestures. It seemed the best he could do was to pick up the odd bouquet of flowers whenever he wanted to impress El - which come to think of it, didn't seem to impress her all that much any more.   
If you’d asked Peter Burke to pick out a new dress for his wife, he’d probably come home with a burlap dress six sizes too large. But Neal… somehow Neal always knew exactly what Sara liked, what suited her best - even when she wasn't sure of it herself. He always knew the perfect shade to complement her colouring, the perfect style to show off her amazing curves and in all their years of marriage, he’d never once had to return a single purchase he’d made for her. 

‘You’re always making me look bad’ Peter muttered under his breath.

‘I’m always making you look bad?’ Neal repeated with sarcasm. ‘Oh no, buddy, you do that just fine all by yourself.’

Peter watched as Neal fiddled with his phone, mumbling to himself. ‘Flowers, wine, gift, food, music…’ he said as he scrolled down what seemed like an awfully long list.

‘Oh, and can we stop at the liquor store, they’ve got a bottle of Veuve Clicquot I ordered.’

Peter looked away, annoyed; he didn't even know what that was. ‘Yeah… sure’ he grumbled, without much enthusiasm.

He shook off the momentary annoyance; it was great to see Neal so excited about life again. How could he possible begrudge his best friend some well deserved happiness?

TBC


	47. Chapter 47

‘Are you sure you don’t need me to stay home today?’ Sara asked, worried.

‘I’m just... tired’ Neal replied, lying on the couch listlessly with Raffie by his side. 

He was playing his role of sick husband to the hilt, eager for her to finally leave the house so he could get started on his surprise for their anniversary dinner. But Sara had been dawdling for the last twenty minutes, insisting on making him a cup of tea before heading off to work.

‘Here sweetie’ she said, placing a piping hot cup of chamomile on the coffee table before him. ‘Have some of this, it’ll make you feel better.’

Neal pretended to go back to sleep, his eyes closed. He grimaced as Raffie continued to sniff, tickling his nose. Apparently, the family pooch was on to Neal’s little deception and was dead set on ratting him out. 

‘Achoo!’ Neal’s eyes flew open and he shooed Raffie who apparently wasn't done comforting him.

‘Oh, Neal. I really think I should stay home’ Sara moaned, sitting on the edge of the couch and placing her hand on his forehead. ‘You don’t seem to be running a fever.’ 

‘I’m not’ Neal insisted. ‘I’m just a little tired from working every day this week’ he said, smiling wanly at her. ‘I just need to rest a little, that’s all.’

Perhaps he was overdoing the sick bit. He sat up, bleary-eyed. ‘I’m fine babe, really. Go, go to work. Hope is home today, she’ll be here if I need anything.’

Sara leaned down to place a loving kiss on his cheek. ‘Hey, aren’t you forgetting something Caffrey?’ she cooed in his ear.

Neal played dumb, looking up with those wide, puppy dog eyes of his.

‘Today’s the 14th’ she said with a put upon pout. It wasn't like Neal to ever forget a birthday or an anniversary.

‘I almost forgot’ Neal admitted. ‘Happy anniversary, Repo’ he said with a loving smile.  
‘If I’m feeling better when you get home, I’ll take you out for a nice dinner.’

‘Let’s just wait and see how you’re feeling when I get home, okay?’ Sara replied with a naughty gleam in her eye.

This year, their wedding anniversary celebration would have to wait one more day - and Neal was going to love the surprise she had in store for him.

He sighed loudly, feigning fatigue. ‘Well, have a good day honey’ he moaned.

And with that, Sara grabbed her purse and briefcase, heading for the door. As soon as it closed behind her, Neal got to his feet with a minimum of effort, ready for action. 

Raffie looked up, puzzled. What had happened to his cosy pillow?

WCWCWC

Sara glanced at her phone as she sat on the train, headed for work; Elizabeth had just texted her the final menu for the dinner party. She’d gone all out and included all of Neal’s favourites: escargot au beurre à l’ail, sole meunière and for dessert crème caramel. They were expecting over twenty guests and El had a special menu for the younger kids; she’d even set up the back yard for a special ‘kid friendly’ party. Sara smiled as she read – El had hired some extra help to serve the meal as well as someone to help with the bar and some special entertainment for the kids. 

She shook her head in astonishment; leave it to Elizabeth to take a small gathering and turn it into a major production. One thing was for sure, she knew Neal would be thrilled to be surrounded by all his friends and family as he finally came through the worst of his ordeal. 

She thought back to her shopping spree with Hope the night before. They’d gone out for dinner and hit some of the high end boutiques in the hopes of finding that very special gift for Neal. Over the years, Neal had been a stickler about traditional anniversary gifts and this year was particularly challenging: porcelain.

They had finally settled on a beautiful porcelain shaving kit complete with a personalized pewter plate with his name and the date. It was vintage and Sara knew Neal would love the sentiment; he was a romantic and he loved the classics in all things. She sat back, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought back to that day, eighteen years before when she’d descended those steps in June’s home to see Neal waiting for her by the door to the garden, her heart beating out of her chest in anticipation. 

What a ride it had been so far and she was looking forward to eighteen more wonderful years with this man she was lucky enough to call her husband.

WCWCWC

Hope and Neal sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and planning their busy day. There were groceries to buy, flowers to be picked up, the table needed setting, the place needed decorating and of course, Neal wanted to squeeze in one last session of physio with Clive. The young man had agreed to come to the house which made things a lot simpler; there was still one fancy manoeuvre Neal wanted to master and it would be easier to practice on home turf.

Neal glanced at the long list of things to do and took in the sight of his daughter, sitting across from him and looking so capable and beautiful, eager to help him get ready for this special night. 

Hope spotted a look of doubt in her father’s eyes. ’Dad, would you please stop worrying. Everything’s going to be just fine. You’ve got this’ she said, resting her hand on his.

Neal smiled at her, noticing her bright blue eyes turning serious as she spoke again. ‘Look, I know today’s all about getting ready for tonight but - I really think we should talk about school.’

Neal opened his mouth to speak and closed it again when Hope raised her hand, urging him to wait. ‘Daddy, please hear me out. I need to confirm my January admission by the end of next week. And I haven't changed my mind.’

Neal gazed at his daughter, looking so grown up as she sat across from him. He and Sara had been discussing it off and on for the past week and he was starting to come around to the Caffrey women’s point of view. Sara was of the opinion that Hope knew what she was doing and that she wanted to delay staring school for all the right reasons – her reasons and not out of some sense of duty towards her dad. 

Hope was old enough to make her own decisions but Neal knew his daughter well; she would never go ahead with her plans without his approval. To be honest, he was thrilled at the thought of having her around for an extra four months, especially with the plans for the art school coming more clearly into focus. He hadn’t told her yet but, if she stayed, he wanted to involve her in making some of the decisions related to the project and he had a particularly special role for her to play in getting the new school up and running.

‘You know, sweet pea, the last thing I want is for you to put your life on hold because of what happened to me’ he said, taking her hand in his. ‘I have no regrets about what happened – I would take that bullet for you again and again if it meant keeping you safe...’ 

He cleared his throat, covering up the emotion rising in his chest at the thought of what might have happened to his little girl.

‘Oh, Dad! That’s why I love you so much. You’ve always been there for us and you’d do anything for Liam and me’ she said, fighting tears herself. ‘But I’m not a kid anymore and I know what I want... and what I want more than anything is to have some time to spend with you before I move to Pittsburgh. Will you please give me that?’

In that moment, Neal realized he couldn’t argue anymore. It was clear that Hope had given this a lot of thought and that she knew exactly what she was getting into. He nodded simply, not uttering a single word and she stood and threw her arms around his neck in a warm hug.

‘Thanks Dad. You’ll never know how much this means to me.’ 

She pulled away, wiping her eyes and grabbed the grocery list from the table. ‘Now, I’d better get going if we’re going to tick everything off your list.’ 

To her surprise, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Neal gave himself a push off the edge of the table and got to his feet. Slowly, he walked the few steps to the sink to put his cup in the sink as Hope watched wide-eyed. She’d seen him walking around the gallery with the help of his trusty walker but she hadn’t seen him get up and walk on his own, not since that night he’d stood between her and a man brandishing a gun at her.

‘Dad?’ she said as she joined him by the sink. ‘You’ve been holding out on me.’

He looked at his daughter, one hand on the kitchen counter to steady himself as he put his arm around her.

‘Impressed?’ he asked.

‘Very. And Mom’s going to be thrilled. But Daddy, please don’t overdo it – you’re not Superman, you know.’ 

‘Oh no? Says who?’ he said in jest. 

They parted ways, Neal assuring his daughter that he wouldn’t try to pull any over the top manoeuvres until she returned and, with a lingering smile on his face, he set about getting ready for Sara’s special anniversary surprise.

WCWCWC

Lydia Jordan checked the time once again. She had been tasked with a very important job in Neal’s elaborate plan for his and Sara’s anniversary dinner. Lydia knew her boss was a stickler for leaving early on Fridays and the last thing she wanted was to walk into her office and find her gone for the day. She had enlisted the help of Sara’s assistant to prevent that from happening and she kept checking her e-mails to make sure she didn’t miss the five minute warning Jenny had promised to send when Sara started to get ready to leave.

She glanced over at the dress Neal had chosen for his wife – perfect in every way as well as the shoes he’d sent over and of course, the pretty little box containing the pearl earrings Sara wore every year for their anniversary. 

A beep was heard heralding an incoming text and Lydia glanced up; Sara was getting ready to leave. She grabbed the dress bag and shoe box and headed out to intercept her boss.

WCWCWC

Liam fiddled with the CD player, making certain he would be ready to carry out his all-important role as DJ when Neal gave him the signal. He hadn’t seen his dad this excited in a while and he watched as Neal puttered around, as much as one can putter with crutches, getting the table just right.

‘Dad, please sit down for a while. You’ve got to keep your strength up for later’ Hope said as she entered the dining room.

Neal looked up with a sigh; of course she was right. He had a full night of entertainment to deliver and he needed to be in the best possible shape if he was going to make it to the end of the evening in one piece. He let himself fall in the chair at the head of the dining room table as he began to take in the progress they’d made. Dinner was in the oven, the table was set, including Sara’s anniversary gift, the candles were lit, the wine uncorked and all other preparations under control. The only thing left was to change into more appropriate clothes; he’d chosen a shirt Sara particularly liked and a pair of tailored pants for the occasion.

‘Liam, can you run up and get my clothes. I think Hope set everything out on the bed’ he said.

‘I did’ Hope added as she came in carrying the glassware and setting it on the table.

‘In the middle...’ Neal instructed as she set the wine glasses on the table.

She looked sideways at him; he was a total wreck and he needed to calm down.

‘Dad’ she said calmly. ‘This is Mom; she’s a sure thing okay? You don’t need to worry about impressing her.’

Neal chuckled at her comment. No matter what, Sara would be thrilled that he’d gone to all this trouble but more importantly, she’d be ecstatic at the progress he’d made in getting their lives back to normal. The final surprise, which he’d practiced with Clive earlier in the afternoon, would blow her away – of that he was certain – and he smiled to himself in anticipation of her reaction.

WCWCWC

‘Oh, my God. It’s beautiful!’ Sara exclaimed as she opened the garment bag and looked at the amazing dress hidden inside.

‘Oh, and there’s a note I’m supposed to give you’ she said as she handed Sara a small envelope.

Sara looked at her, eyes curious, as she opened it finding a small card – a Caffrey original drawing of her, wearing the dress. Leave it to Neal to pull something like this. Inside, she found a note in his tidy handwriting: ‘A magical evening awaits you. Happy anniversary sweetheart! Love, Neal.’

TBC


	48. Chapter 48

‘Hope just texted me to tell me Sara’s on her way home’ Elizabeth said excitedly as she glanced at her phone.

She sat with Peter, relaxing after an early dinner. He smiled in anticipation; knowing what Neal had in store for her, Sara would be smiling all the way into next week. 

Contrary to his best friend, Peter Burke’s idea of romance was pretty well limited to dinner out at his and El’s favourite Italian restaurant followed by a roll in the hay - if he was lucky. He envied Neal’s exceptional skills in the romance department. Neal Caffrey had the uncanny talent of taking an ordinary, everyday situation and turning it into a fairytale moment and Peter had wished many times over the years, that some of that Caffrey magic would rub off on him.   
‘Are you ready for this house to be full tomorrow night?’ he asked as she laced her arms around his neck. 

In twenty-four hours, their house would be packed with dinner guests and El still had a lot to do in order to be ready on time. Of course, as an event planner, she’d planned hundreds of events over the years but there was something about having a party in your own home for the people you loved that always set the bar higher.

‘Yvonne will be here at ten tomorrow morning and I’ve got Hope and Emily running some errands for me in the afternoon’ she said.

Having a house full of guests was always a lot of fun – and a lot of work – and Elizabeth had enlisted Yvonne’s help to assist her in preparing the food and serving the meal. She’d also hired a young man they sometimes used for their catered functions to tend the bar; that would take the pressure off her and Peter so they could both enjoy the company of her guests. Just as she’d planned Neal and Sara’s wedding all those years ago, she was looking forward to hosting this anniversary dinner for them with all of their friends.

‘Diana called and said Ginny was running a fever; she’s not sure if they’ll make it or not’ she added, taking a seat next to him.

‘So how many kids are we expecting all together?’ Peter asked as he tried to picture the number of little people who would be running around the house.

‘Well, Beatrice will be here and then there’s Michael and Jonathan’ she said, referring to Clinton’s two little guys. ‘... and there’s Olivia and Ginny and Hope and Liam, although they can hardly be considered kids – and then, there’s Mozzie, of course...’ she added with a giggle. 

Peter nodded in agreement – it was always up for discussion whether Mozzie belonged at the kids table or with the grownups, even on his best days.

Peter’s phone vibrated and he reached over to pick it up. ‘Liam’ he said to El as he shared the screen with her.

‘Dad’s a nervous wreck’ it read.

WCWCWC

The train was busy on this Friday evening as suburbanites returned to their bedroom communities for the weekend. Sara sat daintily on her seat as she glanced around at her fellow travellers, running her hand gently to smooth the skirt of her brand new dress. Although she was most definitely overdressed for a ride home on the train after a long day at the office, she couldn’t care less and she took in the looks, some curious, but mostly admiring that her fellow passengers shot her way as she travelled towards White Plains.

She had no idea what Neal had cooked up for her but she knew, without a doubt, that it would be spectacular. Neal never disappointed when it came to birthdays and anniversaries. She thought back to his face that morning as he feigned fatigue and she wondered how she’d managed to fall for the little performance – she really should know better by now. Well, two could play that game, she mused, thinking ahead to the wonderful party Peter and Elizabeth were throwing for them. As far as she knew, Neal was still completely in the dark, not suspecting in the least that family and friends had colluded to prepare a gathering in their honour. 

With any luck, it would be her turn to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

WCWCWC

Neal grabbed his crutches and walked a few feet then stopped; he continued for a few more tentative steps and looked up to see Hope standing there with her arms crossed, studying him. He ignored her and made his way to the front of the house and looked out at the street outside, his heart thumping in his chest. 

‘Dad, you’re going to wear yourself out before she even gets here’ Hope said as she took his arm and urged him to sit. He let out a long slow exhale and followed her lead, letting himself settle on a nearby chair.

‘You’ve got this Dad! Stop worrying, your ability to walk isn’t going to magically disappear in the next half hour.’

Truth be told, that was exactly what Neal was afraid of. This walking business was still new and he was terrified that it was all a dream and that his newfound superhuman power would vanish before he could show it off to Sara.

‘How does everything look in the kitchen?’ he asked, badly in need of a change of subject.

‘It’s exactly as you asked’ she replied, her voice calm – hoping some of her composure would rub off on him.

He’d prepared special meals for Sara on dozens of occasions, bustling around the kitchen at lightning speed. How had just taking a few steps to greet his wife suddenly become the main event of the evening?

‘Anything?’ he asked Liam who’d settled himself on the living room couch, monitoring the goings on along Meadowbrook Street in anticipation of his mom’s arrival.

‘Not yet Dad’ Liam answered patiently.

Neal took one last look around the living room and dining room. The place looked great. The candles were lit and the table was beautifully set for a romantic dinner for two. Soft music was floating in the air, Frank Sinatra’s voice crooning and inciting listeners to romance. 

The kids each had their jobs: Hope was in charge of serving the meal, Liam playing the role of wine steward and of course, Neal would need his son’s help to pull off a couple of other surprises he had in store for the celebration. Afterwards, the kids had arranged to make themselves scarce. Liam was sleeping over at his Will’s place and Hope was headed over to Cam’s for the night. Neal nervously patted his shirt pocket and felt the tiny bump where he’d placed his little blue pill - the one he hoped would help him create magic in the bedroom. He had to remember to take it when they got to dessert if he wanted to play ball like the big boys.

‘She’s here!’ Liam suddenly called out as the car turned into the driveway.

WCWCWC

Sara parked the car and sat for a moment in the driveway, staring at the house. She wanted to enjoy every moment of this evening. She had a feeling it was going to be a night to remember and in years to come, she wanted to be able to recall every single detail. It had been such a rough few weeks and for a fleeting moment she wondered what might have happened if that bullet had strayed just half an inch to the left of where it eventually lodged itself. Neal could have been facing a lifetime in a wheelchair or worse yet, she could have been spending this anniversary alone, nursing a broken heart. She shook off the morose thoughts and opened the car door, a huge smile of anticipation on her face.

WCWCWC

Hope was standing at the door when Sara walked in.

‘Hi Mom!’ she sang out in greeting. ‘Welcome home. You look beautiful by the way.’

‘Thanks honey’ Sara said as she scrutinized her daughter in hopes of gaining some insight into what was going on.

‘Here, let me take your bag and your purse’ Hope continued as she took said items from her mom’s hands.

The dining room was just out of sight of the front door but as soon as she took a couple of steps, Sara spotted the edge of the dining room table, noticing their best lace tablecloth hanging off the edge. Liam had been sitting innocently on the couch and he stood to greet her. Frank was crooning ‘All the Way’ in his soft sexy voice and Sara glanced around, noticing candles and flowers all around the room, definitely not business as usual. 

‘Hey Mom’ Liam said as he took her other arm. 

With her children on either side of her, Sara was escorted the few feet leading to the dining room where, to her delight and surprise, she spotted Neal standing at the head of the table looking good enough to eat in a beautiful burgundy coloured shirt and dress pants, a radiant smile on his face. 

‘I knew that dress would look perfect on you’ he said simply, downplaying the fact that he was actually standing there in front of her without any walking aids whatsoever.

‘Neal! What...? You’re standing!’ she exclaimed in astonishment as Hope and Liam continued to hold her up on either side, perhaps afraid she’d faint from the shock.

‘Surprise!’ he said simply as he took a first tentative step towards his beautiful wife.

She took in a sharp breath at the sight of him moving on his own, his movements slow and deliberate and her hand went to her mouth in reaction to the unexpected sight. When she finally removed her hand, her mouth hung open, very unladylike but somehow endearing as Neal continued steadfastly towards her, the kids beaming with pride as they watched. Once they were reasonably sure their mom wasn’t going to faint from the shock, they backed away slowly, their eyes still riveted on their dad who was accomplishing a feat no one would have thought possible just a few weeks before.

None of his earlier apprehension seemed apparent as Neal continued, unwavering, slowly yet resolutely closing the gap between him and his wife. Sara took a step forward and Neal put his hand out to stop her, urging her to wait for him, to let him come all the way to where she remained standing, totally stunned. Despite her eagerness, she relented, waiting patiently as he kept coming one slow, cautious step at a time, anxious as he was not to mess this up and somehow land face first on the hardwood floor. It seemed to take forever but within mere seconds, he was standing in front of her, finally reaching for her outstretched arms and letting himself settle in her embrace, feeling her arms around him trembling perhaps even more so than his legs. There was a lot of nervous laughter and some applause from behind them as Sara held her husband, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, helping him stay upright as she felt him begin to falter. 

Neal was fighting it, but he could feel his legs shaking underneath him from the physical exertion and from the emotional buildup to the moment for which he’d worked so hard. 

‘Happy anniversary Repo!’ he murmured out of breath as he pulled his face away from the crook of her neck where he’d settled for support.

Her eyes were glistening as she kissed him, feeling his whole body shaking against hers. Liam stood behind his dad holding a chair and urging him to let himself fall back. The look of satisfaction on Neal’s face was unmistakeable as he looked up at Sara who was grinning like there was no tomorrow. This was absolutely the best gift she could have ever hoped for and she wasn’t finished showing her appreciation. She let herself settle in Neal’s lap, her lips returning to his as Liam and Hope gave each other the obligatory eye roll and disappeared momentarily into the kitchen to give their lovesick parents a few moments of privacy.

The celebration had begun – and Neal still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

TBC


	49. Chapter 49

‘This is amazing’ Sara said as she took another bite and reached out to take Neal’s hand. 

He shrugged, trying to make light of the fact that he’d managed to put together a gourmet meal with the help of their kids. All of Sara’s favourites were on the menu, from the spicy coconut chowder to the Chilean sea bass to the luscious strawberry tarts which were still to come. 

‘I’m glad you like it’ he said as he beamed at her.

‘You know I still can’t believe you’ve been walking around behind my back – how did you ever pull it off?’ 

‘Well, it helped that you weren’t coming to physiotherapy with me. And last week, Clive gave me some crutches and a walker which I hid away at the gallery... and I’ve been practicing ever since’ he admitted.

Sara shook her head in astonishment. 

‘And you’ve been wheeling around the house in your wheelchair for the past week just for my benefit?’ 

Neal shrugged a second time, looking mischievous.

‘I wanted to surprise you’ he said with a wide grin.

‘Well, I’m thrilled. Things are really moving along, huh?’ she said.

He nodded in response. ‘I was afraid you’d put two and two together when Dr. Miller kept going on ad nauseum about my progress last Tuesday.’

‘I just thought she was trying to encourage you’ Sara said as she took another bite of the heavenly scalloped potatoes that she only allowed herself to eat on very special occasions.

She hummed and closed her eyes as the decadent, rich flavour of the béchamel sauce filled her senses. Neal smiled at the sight of his satisfied wife; he hoped that before the night was over, he’d see that look of rapture on her face for something other than a bunch of spuds. 

‘And I absolutely love the vase’ she said as she brought the beautiful gift closer to examine it once more.

The beautiful matte finish porcelain vase Neal had found at a local antique store was perfect: a minimalist image of a bird on a branch looking over at a second bird nearby. It was simple and classic and on the bottom, he’d had the artist add a porcelain plate with the phrase ‘My beautiful Sara, you give me wings. Love, Neal’

On this day, he’d filled it with gorgeous magenta orchids, Sara’s favourites and the very same flowers they’d had at their wedding all those years before.

‘I thought you might like it’ he said, a satisfied look on his face.

He knew his wife’s taste for the finer things and her understated style for home decorating. 

‘And you like the dress?’ he asked for the third time.

‘I love the dress, Neal. The colour is amazing’ she answered, also for the third time.

He continued to grin goofily as he’d been doing all evening. She looked beautiful and he suddenly felt himself stir at the thought of holding her in his arms and making sweet love to her. He reached over to kiss her, his hand still firmly on hers.

‘More wine, sir?’ he heard to his left.

He hadn’t even heard Liam sneak up on them and he glanced up, pretending to look irritated as his son stood there with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in hand and a napkin on his arm.

‘Yes, please’ he replied curtly, giving Liam a look of annoyance at the ill-timed interruption.

Liam just grinned in response to his dad’s perceived irritation.

‘Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be?’ Neal asked jokingly, hoping to return to kissing his wife.

‘I don’t know, do I?’ Liam asked, giving as good as he was got.

Sara laughed at the exchange between father and son and lifted her glass for Liam to refill.

‘By the way, this wine is an excellent choice, Monsieur le sommelier’ she said to the young man who didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.

‘The cook...’ he began.

Neal cleared his throat to get Liam’s attention and he suddenly remembered the crash course he’d been given earlier in proper etiquette.

‘I mean, the chef has asked me to inform you that dessert will be served shortly’ he said, with a horribly fake French accent that couldn’t possibly be identified as such.

‘Thank you’ Neal said as he gave him a head nod, pointing him back towards the kitchen.

‘I can’t believe you pulled this off’ Sara said, laughing. ‘Especially since you were feeling so tired this morning...’

‘What?’ Neal said in response to her poorly disguised look of skepticism. ‘How else was I supposed to pull off an evening like this if I didn’t tell you a few little while lies.’

‘Oh, speaking of which, I think it’s time for one more little surprise’ he added as Sara took the last bite off her plate.

She looked up expectantly, not sure what more she could possibly want; the dinner was perfect, the gifts were beautiful and witnessing the extent of Neal’s progress was more than she could possibly have hoped for. She was completely and utterly content. Neal rang the little bell requesting service and Liam reappeared, looking flustered.

‘Oh, now you want me here’ he said feigning annoyance.

‘Do you take special requests at this restaurant?’ Neal asked, his voice condescending. 

‘We do, sir’ Liam responded, returning to playing his role.

‘There’s a song I think my lovely wife would like to hear’ Neal said as he glanced over at Sara.

She stared back, incredulous. Surely Neal wasn’t going to attempt what she thought he was going to attempt. Right on cue, he rose from the table and put his hand out for her as the first few bars of their wedding song was heard reverberating throughout the house.

‘Are you sure...’ she began as Neal cut her off.

‘Very sure’ he said as he waited for her to join him.   
Sara rose, touched that their long-standing tradition of dancing to ‘Let’s stay together’ would be honoured again this year despite the overwhelming odds to the contrary. Frankly, she was just so happy to have Neal by her side that she’d momentarily forgotten all about the customary dance. Neal opened his arms, willing his legs to keep cooperating for just a little while longer and Sara moved into his embrace as he began singing in her ear, to her absolute delight. They didn’t venture far and it wasn’t much of a dance as far as dancing goes but Neal held her tight and moved gingerly from one foot to the other, holding her tenderly as she let herself be enveloped by his strong, loving arms. 

It was probably the least graceful dance they’d ever shared yet it packed an emotional punch like none other of their previous anniversary celebrations. By the time they finished, to the applause of Hope and Liam who had appeared nearby, Sara was emotionally done in, crying with joy. It didn’t take long for Neal to fall back in his chair and although he was physically exhausted, he was thrilled by the response his latest little surprise had elicited.

‘Thank you’ Sara said as she joined him back at the table. ‘I really didn’t think we’d be dancing this year.’

‘Tradition is tradition’ Neal said, rather pleased with himself.

Whatever physical fatigue he was feeling dissipated almost immediately and gave way to the utter joy he felt at sharing this wonderful evening with Sara, so happy to see her relaxed and content again after weeks of anguish and worry.

Dessert was served in short order and as always, Neal was on task as he excused himself to use the washroom so he could take the little blue pill he hoped would allow him to hit a home run in the bedroom later. Although they’d certainly been enjoying each other’s company between the sheets over for the past few weeks, he’d been holding back, partly so they could celebrate their anniversary in style but mostly out of concern that he wouldn’t be up to the task. The last thing Neal wanted was to start something he couldn’t finish and he’d been reluctant to go all the way until he felt he had total control of his limbs – all of them. 

He made his way back to the table, pushing Bertha along and rejoined Sara who was waiting patiently to jump into the strawberry tarts Neal had made from the berries that grew in their backyard. 

‘Neal, this has been incredible. What do you say we ask the kids to come and have dessert with us?’ 

‘I think that’s a great idea’ Neal agreed as the kids suddenly appeared, as if on cue.

‘It’s about time’ said Hope, wiping her brow dramatically.

‘Oh, honey, you did a great job’ exclaimed Sara as she welcomed them both to the table.

The kids were part of who they were and there was nothing quite like being together as a family on their wedding anniversary. 

‘You know, I used to be embarrassed at how you two behaved but... now, I’m kind of hoping I’ll be just as in love as you are when I’m your age’ Hope admitted meekly as Liam rolled his eyes.

‘Your turn will come, buddy’ Neal said as he spied his son’s reaction.

‘Whatever...’ he said as everyone began to laugh.

WCWCWC

By 10:00, the table had been cleared and Sara and Neal sat finishing up the last of the excellent wine, feeling mellow and content. Neal needed Liam’s help for one more exploit and he began to feel anxious again at the thought of what he was about to attempt to do. He’d only tried it once, on that very afternoon, with Clive’s help and he was suddenly concerned that he wouldn’t be able to pull it off successfully. He was determined to try though and he gave Hope the secret signal for her to head upstairs and put his plan in motion. She returned a few minutes later, giving him a quick thumbs up and Neal pushed his chair away from the table and stood as Sara looked on, curious.

‘Honey, will you come with me?’ he asked timidly as he reached for the walker to support himself.

Sara’s eyes narrowed, wondering what wonderful exploit Neal Caffrey was going to pull next and she stood, following him and Bertha to the front of the house where he stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs.

She stared up at the staircase and froze. ’No! You’re kidding, right?’ 

Neal just smiled that cocky Caffrey smile and shrugged. 

‘But Neal, is it safe?’ she asked as she saw Liam appear and help set Bertha aside.

He ignored her question and took a deep breath. ‘How about you go on up to our bedroom and I’ll join you in a minute?’ he asked mischievously.

‘No, Neal! I’m not leaving you behind. If you’re going up to our bedroom, I’m going with you’ she said adamantly. ‘We’ll walk in there together.’

He smiled in response. He was slightly embarrassed at her witnessing the strenuous effort that would be required to climb the long staircase but he also wanted to see her face when she walked into their bedroom. He took a deep breath and with Liam holding his left arm and his right hand firmly on the handrail, Neal took a first decisive step up the stairs.

TBC


	50. Chapter 50

It was a long, gruelling climb to the top of the stairs as Neal mentally counted down the 15 steps up to the second floor. By the time he reached the landing, he needed the support of both Sara and Liam to take the last few remaining steps into their bedroom. Sara’s focus was on Neal and getting him safely to the room without any mishaps and although she was vaguely aware of the love nest Neal had managed to create in their bedroom, it wasn’t until he was safely seated in the armchair by their bed that she looked up to see the magic he’d created.

True to his nature, Neal had instructed the kids to litter the room with gorgeous aromatic candles, some of which were obvious new purchases Sara had never seen before. In his typical romantic fashion, he’d gone the traditional route of placing a trail of rose petals leading to their bed and had them scattered all over their bedspread. The two bedside table lamps had been covered by beautiful silk scarves giving the room a soft orange glow and gentle jazz could be heard in the background as the four of them finally settled into the room. Sara noticed the chocolate covered strawberries by the bed as well as the champagne flutes and ice bucket with a bottle of what looked to be a Veuve Clicquot, her favourite champagne. Neal had gone the full nine yards to set the stage and Sara looked around appreciatively, taking in all the minute details of their transformed bedroom.

Neal was visibly disappointed that everyone’s concern for his physical safety had eclipsed his grand romantic gesture but he settled into the armchair out of breath and watched Sara take in the room around them with pure delight. She giggled nervously. It was obvious Neal had amorous intention and she glanced i his direction, noticing his mischievous smile.

‘You’ve really outdone yourself Caffrey’ she said as he beamed at her despite the fatigue and sheer exhaustion which had momentarily overcome him.

‘Well, I was hoping for a less dramatic entrance...’ he said, eyebrows raised.

‘Honey, you shouldn’t be pushing yourself like this’ she admonished as she stood by him, running her hand affectionately through his thick head of hair.

Neal wasn’t going to let the kids’ presence disrupt the mood he’d worked so hard to create and he reached for her wrist, pulling her resolutely towards him until she landed squarely in his lap, a big smile on both their faces. 

Hope and Liam looked sideways at each other; it was definitely time to take their leave but they had a surprise for their parents before they finally left them to their own devices. Liam reached over, grabbing what looked like a large book from the nearby dresser and brought it over to where his parents sat. Neal was recovering and had begun to make ‘goo goo’ eyes at his wife who was nestled in his arms.

‘We have something for the two of you’ he said as Hope looked on.

The couple’s focus shifted from each other to what Liam was holding as they struggled to see in the dimly lit room without the benefit of their reading glasses. 

‘Do you mind?’ Hope asked as she reached over for the overhead light switch, instantly breaking the mood and filling the room with unwelcome yet much needed brightness.

Liam handed both his parents their reading glasses so they could truly appreciate what they were holding in their hands and he heard them both gasp as they took in the beauty of what appeared to be a photo album. The cover page was, at first glance, a photograph of Neal and Sara taken on their wedding day but with the added benefit of proper lighting and 20/20 eyesight, they were both quick to discover that it was a painting of a photograph and their eyes turned to Hope who sat there looking smug and proud.

‘This is a painting....’ Sara said, stating the obvious.

The canvas was approximately eight by ten inches and Neal and Sara instantly remembered it had been taken by Elizabeth in June’s garden on the day of their wedding. In the photograph, the two of them stared ahead, champagne flutes in hand as they glowed, beaming for the camera.  
True love stories never end   
Neal looked up at Hope, her face aglow. ’Honey, you’ve really outdone yourself!’ 

‘There’s a photograph for every year you’ve been married’ Liam explained, looking just as pleased as his sister. Neal and Sara opened the book and began to peruse the photographs. Hope had added gorgeous yet discreet embellishments on each page, making the album a true work of art.

‘Hope did the artwork and I did the research and assembled the album’ Liam said proudly as he took in their parents’ joy at the gift.

The foursome gathered around the album as Neal began turning the pages one by one, all of them commenting on dress and hair styles, the variety of shades of Sara’s hair colour throughout the years, the appearance of a few stray grey hairs on Neal’s temples as time advanced. Amazingly, as they ventured all the way through to the last few photographs, both Neal and Sara still looked incredible and what was most obvious was the happiness in their eyes as the years passed. Eighteen years of a life shared was nothing to scoff at and both Hope and Liam were thrilled to have parents who still had eyes only for each other.

They arrived about halfway through the album, noticing the rest had been left blank.

‘Those are for all the years you guys have left’ Hope said as Liam pulled out a camera seemingly out of thin air.

‘We have to take a picture to add to the book’ he said as he positioned himself to take the shot.

Neal and Sara curled up in the chair, Sara bringing her face up against her husband’s as both of them smiled broadly for the camera. Each anniversary was special in its own way but this one would always be remembered for being a particularly difficult year where they’d overcome hardships, facing them together.

‘Guys, this is... amazing’ said Sara as she finally rose to hug each one of the kids.

‘Well, I think we should get going, huh Liam?’ Hope said as she elbowed her brother.

‘Yeah’ he agreed as he took the album from Neal’s hands and placed it back on the dresser for safekeeping.

‘You guys, enjoy the rest of your evening’ Hope said cryptically as she pulled Liam along and turned off the light on her way out. ‘We’ll see you tomorrow.’

And just like that, Neal and Sara were left alone, the mood reverting to romance.

WCWCWC

‘They loved it!’ Liam exclaimed as he sat in the passenger seat of the family car.

Hope nodded, a huge grin on her face. The evening had been magical and she was thrilled that she and Liam had been able to help their dad pull off the surprise.

‘Don’t forget, Aunt Elizabeth needs you on the decorating committee tomorrow afternoon’ she reminded her brother as they pulled into Will Allenby’s driveway.

‘I won’t. Pick me up on your way to the airport’ he said as he climbed out of the car.

Hope waved him off as she began the trek to Manhattan to join Cameron. The romantic mood they’d just witnessed was rubbing off on her and she was looking forward to snuggling up to her cute boyfriend and making some magic of their own.

WCWCWC

Sara sat on Neal’s lap, running her lips languidly from behind his ear down towards his neck as he moaned softly. They’d been making out like a couple of lovesick teenagers for about twenty minutes and she was beginning to feel the burn on her face from his prickly five o’clock shadow’s constant rubbing against her cheek.

‘I love you Repo’ she heard Neal murmur in her ear as she slowly began to unbutton his shirt.

She pulled away to look into his eyes, mischievous and dark and she hesitated for a moment, unsure about where this was all going. She sure as hell didn't want to be making any assumptions about what Neal was capable of doing.

He seemed to read the inquisitive look in her eyes and he responded to the unspoken question, bringing his lips to rest against her neck and tugging persistently at her dress.

‘I want to make love to you’ he said softly, his voice rough.

‘But...’ 

‘No buts tonight babe’ he replied, not even bothering to pull his lips away.

He reached behind her, finding the zipper of her dress and, without hesitation, he began to tug gently as she repositioned herself to help him along in his quest to get her naked. The sensation of her body pressed against his was doing unspoken things to him and the little blue pill seemed to be contributing to giving him the staying power which had previously eluded him. He could feel himself swelling under the weight of her buttocks and he fought the urge to rut against her, preferring to take his time and enjoy the feeling of her body pressed up against his – at least for the time being. 

He wanted to enjoy every moment of foreplay before launching into the main event and he reached over and grabbed a strawberry from the bedside table, lovingly placing it between her lips and watching as she closed her eyes to take a bite. He brought the rest of the fruit to his own mouth and hummed as the sweetness hit his tastebuds and he immediately returned his lips to hers, both of them tasting each other as their mouths met, ravenous for one another.

‘Neal, I...’ Sara began again. She didn’t want Neal pushing himself beyond his limits and she knew that he’d be upset if he set the bar too high and was unable to perform to his exacting standards.

‘Sara, look at me. I’m telling you, it’s going to be fine’ he murmured, his voice confident yet soft.

She continued to look at him questioningly and he realized that if he didn’t tell her about his little medical aid, she’d continue to worry, wondering at what point he might start to fade. Their previous attempts at lovemaking had ended in disappointment and he wanted her to enjoy the moment and stop worrying.

‘I got a little... extra help’ he murmured in her ear.

‘Extra help?’ she repeated, not quite sure what he was saying.

Neal pulled away and gave her an exaggerated eyebrow wag before returning to the important job of sucking on her earlobe. 

‘Ohhh’ she finally said, clueing in to what he was saying. ‘Extra help…really?’

He nodded, his lips continuing to roam. ‘So stop worrying and enjoy it. I know I will’ he added with a wicked smile.

Sara let go of her apprehension, enthusiastically throwing her arms around his neck and bringing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. 

Neal laughed through the kiss, pulling away as she fought him valiantly.

‘Hey, hey. Take it easy. We’ve got all night’ he reminded her, his hand stroking her hips.

She gave him a naughty look. ‘What are we waiting for?’ 

TBC


	51. Chapter 51

‘They loved their surprise’ Hope said as she lay, satiated, in Cameron Armstrong’s arms.

‘Oh, yeah?’ he said as he let his lips linger on her neck.

He was ready to go again – ah, the beauty of youth – and she just gently shooed him away, needing to cuddle and talk for a while before falling asleep.

‘Do you think your dad knows about tomorrow?’ he asked, momentarily giving up on his quest.

‘Naw. He doesn’t have a clue. He’s been so focussed on making tonight perfect for Mom that he hasn’t had time to think about anything else.’

Hope looked dreamily off in the distance. She loved Cameron and the thought of being away from him when she moved to Pittsburgh worried her. Would their relationship survive a temporary separation or were they doomed to grow apart over time? She knew from watching her parents that love moved in mysterious ways and she was willing to let life take its course. If she and Cam were destined to be together, life would find a way to make that happen but still, not knowing was difficult and she pressed in a little closer to him.

‘Uncle Peter says that Mom and Dad couldn’t stand the sight of each other when they first met. Can you believe it? I always thought they were perfect together but apparently they fought like cats and dogs when they first got together.’

‘Well, they seem to like each other just fine now’ Cam chuckled as he ran his hand up and down Hope’s arm.

Hope laughed; her parents were madly in love and that passion had manifested itself in a lot of different ways over the years but she’d never doubted for a moment that they would overcome any hardships life would throw their way. Was that her destiny with Cam? 

Only time would tell.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara sat up in bed, arms wrapped around each other, giggling like a couple of lovesick kids. They were taking a break from their amorous pursuits while they sipped champagne and reminisced about past anniversaries.

‘And then, there was the time you made me that wonderful almond torte and we found it half eaten on the kitchen floor with Raffie snoring next to it’ Sara reminded him, laughing throatily.

Neal’s eyes glowed; he was still on a high from the amazing sex they’d had less than an hour before. He could feel himself starting to stir again just from the sound of Sara’s warm voice and her gentle wayward touches. They weren’t twenty years old anymore and in recent years, once around the block was more than enough on any given night but his mind wandered as he thought of how amazing she’d looked as she’d straddled him and how wonderful it had felt to finally hit that home run. He suddenly yearned for another go and he set his glass down, his face growing serious as he began to run his hand suggestively along Sara’s thigh and up to her bare buttocks. He squeezed, leaving no doubt as to his intentions. She was taken aback by that unmistakeable ‘I’m about to have my way with you again’ look in his hungry eyes.

‘Are you kidding?’ she asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

He shrugged, embarrassed yet beyond excited as the stirring grew more insistent. He took her champagne flute from her hand and set it aside, expertly pulling her down on the bed as he positioned himself between her thighs, seeking some kind of friction – and needing it in the worst possible way.

She smiled up at him, falling into step in short order as she welcomed him into her loving arms. She was more than happy to oblige and she was suddenly brought back to their early years when Neal had a short turnaround time and she could press the repeat button before he eventually ran out of steam. This was a surprisingly wonderful turn of events and complaining about a repeat performance was the furthest thing from her mind.

‘Looks like I’m up at bat again’ he said suggestively, his voice raspy as he insistently pushed her legs apart.

Sara kept her eyes glued to his, their bodies coming together without a moment’s hesitation and she reacted with a soft pleasurable moan, throwing her arms around him and drawing him closer as she pulled herself up off the bed.

‘Touchdown!’ she whispered breathlessly into his ear as he momentarily pulled away to look at her face, his eyes amused.

‘What?’ she said reacting to his playful grin.

‘Nothing’ Neal chuckled softly, giving in to the amazing sensations in his loins. ‘Nothing at all. I love you Sara Ellis!’

And with that, he returned to the business at hand, the business of enjoying his wife’s lingering touches, the feel of her body against his, her warmth and laughter as he rocked in and out, his self-confidence back in spades.

WCWCWC

Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m., it appeared the little blue pill was still working its magic and Neal woke with a raging hard on which he proceeded to press firmly against his wife’s back while she slept soundly next to him.

‘Again?’ she said drowsily as she felt him behind her, panting loudly.

‘Sorry…’ he mumbled, not sounding sorry in the least.

She grumbled and laughed softly as she turned to face him, his face flushed and that oh so hot look in his blue eyes. 

‘Who are you and what have you done with my husband?’ she asked as she pulled him closer.

He shrugged and carried on, his hands beginning their usual exploration. 

‘All right’ she said sleepily. ‘One more round – but then I’m going to start charging you.’

WCWCWC

The Caffreys slept late, which was not surprising considering their extensive nocturnal workout. Sara woke to find Neal behind her, arms tightly wrapped around her waist, his face nestled in her hair as he snored blissfully. She glanced at the clock and, noticing it was already 9:00, she began to think ahead to her own surprise for Neal. Although she would have to stay at arms’ length from the goings on at Casa Burke so as not to arouse his suspicion, she had arranged for Peter to take Neal out for brunch so she could pop by briefly and check on all the arrangements. Not that there was anything to worry about; after all, if anyone could pull this off it was Elizabeth Burke.

She turned in bed and watched Neal resituate, flipping onto his back, dead to the world. His face was relaxed, no sign of the anguish of the last couple of weeks. Their anniversary celebration had given him the confidence he needed and she was grateful to see he was finally on the mend. With any luck, they would be fully resuming their lives soon. 

By noon, Peter had swung by to pick up Neal for brunch, leaving her with the family’s second vehicle to drive herself out to Brooklyn. She placed a quick call to Hope, reminding her that Emily would be waiting for her at the airport at 1:30 and she hit the road, eager to see what was brewing over at the Burkes. She found a flurry of activity when she arrived. El had enlisted Mozzie and Liam’s help in getting the place decorated and as Sara entered the house, she could hear Mrs. Burke barking orders – seemingly, the guys weren’t carrying out the task to her exacting standards.

‘Everything okay in here?’ she asked as she peeked in and placed the latte she’d brought in El’s hand.

Elizabeth wiped her brow, looking a little flustered as she directed the boys to the backyard to finish decorating the kids’ area. She gratefully accepted the cup from Sara’s hand and took a seat at the kitchen island, facing her best friend.

‘Everything’s fine’ El sighed loudly. ‘You know how I get...’

‘Well, I hope this wasn’t too much to ask’ Sara said as Elizabeth interrupted.

‘No, of course not. You know I love doing this stuff. Yvonne just went out for a few last minute things and...’ she added, looking at her watch, ‘...Hope and Emily should be here any minute. So tell me, how did it go last night?’

Sara looked at her, surprised. ’You knew?’ 

‘Of course I knew! Was it fun?’

Sara got a twinkle in her eye which did not go undetected by her best friend. 

‘So, is the dry spell over?’ El added, pushing her luck.

‘Elizabeth!’ Sara exclaimed, pretending to be offended. ‘I’m not going to kiss and tell.’ 

‘Oh, no? Since when?’ 

Sara rolled her eyes but replied all the same. ‘It was wonderful, all of it... the dinner, the dress, the gifts, the... aftermath.’ 

Elizabeth smiled in response. ‘I knew it!’ she said.

‘How did you know it? I didn’t even know it’ Sara said, blushing.

‘I mean, I knew Neal would be back to his old self soon. This is Neal we’re talking about.’

Sara just smiled; El had no idea just how true that was.

WCWCWC

‘You look... I don’t know, I want to say tired but I also want to say ... invigorated’ Peter said as he sat across the table from Neal.

Neal just smiled evasively as he took in Peter’s puzzled look.

‘Well, you’d be right on both counts... I guess’ he answered hesitantly as Peter started to put two and two together.

Neal looked surreptitiously around the restaurant to see if anyone was watching and he pulled out the small pill bottle from his shirt pocket.

‘Have you ever tried this stuff?’ he whispered excitedly as his best friend looked on with curiosity. ‘You know I... I don’t usually kiss and tell but...’

Peter’s eyes narrowed as he took in the label on the pill bottle, realizing where that glow on Neal’s face was coming from.

‘This is why you have that look on your face?’ 

Neal leaned in as if confiding state secrets. ’Peter, if you ever have to hit one of the park, believe me this is the way to go.’ 

‘Well, I don’t think you ever have to hit one out of the park’ Peter replied with a frown. ‘But I am familiar with this... drug.’

‘You’re kidding? You mean you’ve been holding out on me all this time?’ Neal whispered, seemingly annoyed.

‘Since when do you and I talk about… stuff like that?’ Peter asked, his voice quiet and just as annoyed.

Neal shrugged; it was true enough, they didn't usually talk in detail about their sexual exploits. ‘Yeah, but if I found some amazing new invention, I wouldn’t hold out on you’ he whined, thinking of all those years where he could have been even more of a stud.

‘First of all, this is not a new invention, Neal’ Peter said, pointing to the pill bottle. ‘And secondly, it’s not manna from heaven, it’s a medication – it’s not something to be used for your... enjoyment...’ he trailed off as he realized what he’d just said.

‘I’d say that’s exactly what it’s for and I can’t believe you’ve never mentioned it’ Neal continued, his annoyance slowly growing into resentment.

The waitress returned with their order and glanced down at the bottle of pills on the table, noting the look of discomfort as the men exchanged awkward looks. She smiled kindly at the two of them, surmising their likely relationship. After all, she was just as liberal-minded as the next girl.

WCWCWC

‘She keeps staring at us and smiling’ Peter said as he glanced over towards the waitress.

‘She thinks we’re a couple, Peter’ Neal said in his no-nonsense voice.

‘Well, let’s set her straight, then!’ Peter said, somewhat irate. ‘Not that there’s anything wrong with...’

‘Then why are you making such a big deal out of it?’ Neal asked, annoyed at the fact that Peter would care about such a thing.

Peter snapped his attention back to the conversation at hand.

‘So anyway, El’s expecting me to call her and let her know if you guys are coming over for dinner tonight’ Peter said, trying to make the invitation sound casual.

‘Yeah…’ Neal said as he glanced down at his phone. ‘Sara says we’re good so... what time do you want us over?’

‘Around 6:30?’ Peter replied, trying to sound nonchalant. 

Neal nodded; he could see the waitress out of the corner of his eye, making her way to their table to deliver the check and without a moment’s hesitation, he reached across the table and grabbed Peter’s hand, cradling it in his.

‘Don’t worry, babe’ he said, making sure she was within earshot. 

Peter glared in disbelief as Neal rubbed his knuckles lovingly.

’We’ll find a way to get through this’ he added softly.

TBC


	52. Chapter 52

‘Which plate did you want to use for the mini-quiches?’ Emily Ellis-Foster asked as Elizabeth made one of her runs through the kitchen.

‘That one’ El pointed. ‘No, no, the other one’ she corrected.

‘Auntie Elizabeth!’ Hope called out as she poked her head in through the back door ‘Carmen wants to know how many place settings you want out here for the kids’ table.’

‘I’ll take care of it’ Yvonne said, with efficiency, as she dropped what she was doing and headed out to join Hope in the back.

The place was buzzing as everyone tended to their assigned tasks and despite the apparent chaos, Elizabeth Burke was on cloud nine. She loved catering special events and she especially loved the last few hours before everything finally came together – the time when things went from hectic to perfect. But above all else, she loved catering events for family and friends. Her standards were high and she knew that by the end of the evening, everyone would have had a great time and would be raving about how she’d outdone herself... once again.

The front door was heard opening and Peter appeared. He’d been hoping to make himself scarce; Elizabeth was always frazzled in the last few hours before the guests arrived and he wanted to avoid being drafted for some inane task like standing at the stovetop, stirring some sauce for the foreseeable future. 

‘Hey honey’ he said nonchalantly as he took in the bedlam in his kitchen and living room.

Elizabeth was getting something out of the freezer, Emily was busy with the appetizers, Liam and Mozzie were fiddling with some streamers in the living room and he could see Hope and Cam in the backyard with Yvonne and a woman he’d never seen before.

‘Hi hon’ Elizabeth called out over her shoulder. ‘You’re just in time. I need you to keep an eye on the béchamel for me.’ 

Foiled again! Peter rolled his eyes – even he knew that was a sauce. He made his way to the kitchen as he greeted everyone, stopping to hug Emily whom he hadn’t seen in a while and he walked over to the sink to wash his hands before he got started on sauce duty.

‘Hey’ El said as she made her way over, giving him a peck on the cheek. ‘How did it go with Neal?’

‘Fine. We’re good, he doesn’t have a clue’ said Peter as he reached over and attempted to take a nibble from a nearby platter of hors d’oeuvres.

Elizabeth was quick to slap his hand away and Peter looked at her pleadingly as she finally reached for it herself, picking up a tasty morsel and placing it gingerly into his grateful mouth.

WCWCWC

Sara stepped into the house, relieved to hear silence. Hopefully Neal wasn’t back from brunch yet and she’d manage to avoid the ‘Caffrey inquisition’. Not that Neal was a control freak, far from it. He was just a very curious and observant man and nothing got past him – no doubt a throwback to his conman days when missing some small detail could end up costing him his life.

She walked towards the kitchen and just about jumped out of her skin when she heard him call out to her from the nearby family room.

‘Hey! I wondered where you’d gotten to’ he said from his spot on the couch.

He was half sitting, half lying there, looking a little worse for wear, most certainly not the tiger he’d been in bed the night before.

‘You’re home!’ she called out, hoping for a successful deflection but, alas, that was not to be.

Neal sat up, eyes bleary. ’Where were you?’ 

‘Just... doing a little bit of shopping’ she lied, hoping that would be the end of that.

‘What’d you buy?’ Neal asked, a dog with a bone.

‘Nothing. There were no good sales on’ she replied as she walked over to him, figuring she needed to go with a different approach if she was going to manage to divert his attention to another topic.

She plopped herself down on the couch, smiling wanly, hoping she could distract him from his current line of questioning.

‘Since when do you only buy things that are on sale?’ he asked, teasing her.

She gave him the wifely eye roll and spotted June’s portrait on the nearby easel.

‘Oh, honey, you worked on the painting!’ she said. ‘It’s really coming along.’

Neal fell for the deflection and turned his eyes towards the work in progress. He’d been working on it sporadically and he hadn’t made much headway in the past week as he concentrated on his rehabilitation and the preparations for their anniversary dinner.

‘So, what do you think?’ he asked, asking for her take on it.

Sara didn’t often get the chance to see Neal’s works in progress. The studio was strictly his and Hope’s domain and he tended to wait until a piece was finished before showing it to her for her critique.

‘I think it’s going to be gorgeous’ she said as she put a hand on his back, rubbing gently.

Neal let himself fall back into her arms, his head nuzzled in the crook of her neck and he let out a small plaintive moan.

‘I think there’s a reason why 54-year-old men don’t have sex three times in a twelve-hour period’ he lamented as he put his arms around her waist to snuggle even closer.

Sara chuckled; she too was feeling the effects of all that vigorous lovemaking and she could only imagine how Neal must be feeling, considering he was still recovering from some very serious injuries.

‘Well, it was fun while it lasted’ she said, thinking back to the night before.

‘I was fine until I got back from brunch and then it hit me like a ton of bricks’ he said, his voice almost childlike, obviously fishing for a little TLC.

‘Awww! Poor baby’ she said in sympathy as she squeezed him tight.

‘Did I remember to say thank you for last night?’ she added as she lovingly ran her hand through his hair.

‘Only about seventeen times...’ Neal responded, laughing softly. ‘I’m really glad you liked it Repo.’

They sat in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s presence. Sara was beginning to wonder if Neal had drifted off when he spoke up, his voice quiet.

‘Hope and I worked things out yesterday. I gave her my blessing to stay behind and help with the gallery... and the new school’ he said.

‘I’m glad’ Sara answered. ’It’s going to be nice to have her around a little bit longer.’

‘Now that school’s out, she’s going to work full time at the gallery and I’ve got her coming with me to visit two potential places for the art school next week.’

‘Oh yeah? Where?’

‘In Manhattan’ Neal responded, mindlessly drawing circles on Sara’s arm.

‘Where do most of the referrals come from?’ she asked, thinking of all the requests the gallery received to subsidize underprivileged families.

Neal thought for a second, then sat up, suddenly animated. ‘Honey, you’re a genius!’ he exclaimed, out of the blue.

Although Sara was glad for the compliment, she had no idea what Neal was referring to. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Why would we set up the school in Manhattan when it’s so far away from the kids who’ll be using it?’ he reasoned. ‘We should set up where the kids are.’

Once his aha moment had passed, he let himself fall back into Sara’s arms and grew quiet again, no doubt thinking through what this would mean in terms of strategy. Once again, Sara was convinced Neal had fallen asleep and she was beginning to feel herself fade when he spoke again.

‘Babe, why don’t we just stay home tonight?’ he said, curling up in his wife’s arms. ‘I’m sure Peter and El will understand if we cancel.’ 

Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she tried to come up with a response that would not give away the fact that over twenty of their closest friends and family would be expecting them in less than four hours. She took a deep steadying breath so the panic wouldn’t seep into her voice and when she finally spoke, her voice was calm and composed.

‘Tell you what’ she said, buying time. ‘Why don’t we have a nap and see how we feel? We can always cancel later.’

‘Okay’ he nodded, settling into her arms. 

He looked up at her, a pout on his face. ‘Are you going stay and sleep with me?’

They were both nice and comfy on the couch and Sara nodded as she let her head fall back, feigning fatigue. She had bought them a bit of time and her mind reeled as she thought of some of the tactics she might have to resort to in order to get Neal to agree to go to the Burkes. 

Before she finished forming a single coherent thought, she heard Neal’s soft snoring. 

WCWCWC

‘Carmen, this is amazing!’ El said as she took in the look of their transformed backyard.

The kids’ party lady had a real knack when it came to organizing children’s parties and she’d set up a number of games for them to play and an eating area complete with a candy floss machine that El knew the kids would go crazy for.

‘And you’ll get them fed and keep them entertained through dinner?’ Elizabeth asked.

‘Until the guests are ready to leave’ answered the young, energetic woman. ‘Can we go over the ages once again?’

‘Sure. We’ve got Beatrice - or Bibi - she’s fifteen months old, Jonathan is six, Michael is four, Virginia is ten and Olivia is eleven... and then there’s Mozzie...’ Elizabeth added, pointing to the bespectacled man through the open door.

He was giggling like a two year old as he and Liam inhaled helium balloons and took turns singing Chipmunks songs. 

‘Oh, I see, an honorary kid’ Carmen nodded knowingly.

El just laughed as she returned to the task of coordinating things in the kitchen. Just one more hour and the first guests would start to arrive. 

WCWCWC

Sara slipped out of Neal’s grasp and managed to settle him down on the couch without him waking up. The last week had been exhausting and apparently, it was finally catching up to him. She tiptoed up the stairs, taking in the remnants from the night before as she stepped into their bedroom: the empty bottle of champagne, the half burned candles, the unmade bed. She began to tidy up and within minutes, she was riffling through their closet to find their clothes for the dinner party. 

Ever since she and El had concocted the plan for the party, she had been on the lookout for something special to wear. It was a fairly casual affair with kids invited so it was definitely not formal but she still wanted to look nice. She grabbed for the pretty little number she’d bought at Holt Renfrew’s a few weeks back: a lovely knee length dress with a lace overlay. In some ways, it reminded her of the dress Neal had just bought for her as well as the dress she’d worn for their wedding all those years ago. She hadn’t wanted to set off any alarm bells by getting Neal a new outfit so she looked through the many choices on his side of the closet, settling on a shirt with a muted hue of the same colour as her dress.

She went to his tie rack, finding the perfect matching tie which she planned to hide in her purse until they got there. He might become suspicious if she suggested he wear a tie to a casual dinner at the Burkes; she was going to have enough trouble as it was explaining her choice of dress. She lay everything out on the bed and made her way to the shower, hoping Neal was having a very restful sleep and would be in fine form for another great evening of celebration.

It was already five o’clock when she made her way downstairs, intent on checking on him. If she gave him too much of a hard sell, he might become suspicious so she simply sauntered into the room, hearing him stir as she walked by.

‘Hey’ he said, his voice sleepy as he lifted his head off the couch.

She walked over and stood in front of him, trying to gauge his state of mind.

‘Feeling better?’ she asked, holding her breath.

He frowned as he looked up at her, his eyes narrowing as things came into focus.

TBC


	53. Chapter 53

Neal looked up at his wife, his sleepy eyes finally coming into focus. She stood there in front of him, wearing a white terrycloth robe and apparently nothing else and Neal reached out, pulling on the sash and watching with interest as the robe fell open revealing all of Sara.

‘I’m feeling pretty good’ he said suggestively as he slipped his hands inside her robe and ran them longingly over her naked hips.

‘Neal!’ she exclaimed, exasperated. ‘What are you doing? You were just complaining about how tired you were.’

‘Well, I had a really good nap...’ he murmured as he pulled her in closer and brought his mouth to her belly, kissing it lazily. 

‘I don’t think the effects of that pill last this long’ she uttered, trying not to give in to the sensation of his lips which were suddenly travelling to parts south of her belly button.

‘This is all me, baby’ he murmured not bothering to slow down.

‘Neal…’ she whined as she attempted to pull away. ‘What about dinner at the Burkes?’

‘We’ll get there... eventually’ he whispered huskily as his hands began to wander to places that caused Sara’s breathing to falter and to momentarily forget about dinner – what dinner?

She couldn’t believe he was at it again and she resolved to look things up online and find out just what the deal was with this little blue pill. Pushing him away would only make him suspicious - the way she looked at it, she had two options: she could fight him or she could join in. 

Fighting had never been her style.

WCWCWC

‘Sara texted that they’re running a little late’ Elizabeth announced to all the guests assembled.

She noticed Peter giving her a skeptical look as he made his way over to where she stood.

‘Running a little late, huh?’ 

‘Don’t ask. She said Neal was tired and needed a nap so they’re a little behind schedule’ Elizabeth added as she prepared to return to the kitchen to refill the appetizer plates. 

Peter thought back to the conversation they’d had at brunch; he had his suspicions and looking into his wife’s eyes, he surmised she might be thinking the same thing.

‘Everybody, have a drink and enjoy!’ she said to the revellers.

The house was full of life, the kids running in and out as they intermittently checked on their parents, returning to the fun and games they were having in the Burkes’ backyard. No one seemed particularly disappointed that the guests of honour were running late as they chatted and caught up with each other’s busy lives. Diana was chatting animatedly with Emily, a drink in hand while Mozzie and Jones could be heard arguing – probably about some government conspiracy – and Christie was helping El and Hope get more appetizers on the table while Sam and Lydia sat talking to Ivy Jones, Clinton’s wife.

It was a party all right; all that was missing now was the happy couple.

WCWCWC

‘You look beautiful’ Neal said, gazing over at his wife as she navigated the bridge towards Brooklyn.

‘So, you’ve said’ Sara responded as she glanced fondly at the Adonis sitting next to her in the car. ‘Twice.’

Neal Caffrey was a puzzle, a veritable riddle wrapped in a mystery, hidden inside an enigma. Although they’d been cohabitating for almost twenty years, she never quite knew what to expect. He was spontaneous, impulsive and it was impossible to know where his head or his heart would take him on any given day. Of course, this happened to be one of his most endearing traits while at the same time, being the most infuriating but over the years, Sara had learned to roll with the punches. His sudden romantic urges were part of the package and far be it from her to curtail his sudden unexpected urges.

‘I haven’t worn this shirt in a while’ he said looking down at the outfit Sara had chosen for him to wear. ‘I actually forgot I had it.’

He seemed to be thinking things through and Sara waited for the other shoe to drop.

‘Aren’t we a little overdressed for dinner with Peter and El?’ he asked.

‘I told you, El said she was whipping up a special dinner for our anniversary. I figure the least we could do is dress up a little’ Sara said, keeping her eyes on the road.

He seemed to buy the flimsy excuse for an explanation and he continued to look out the car window, relaxed and seemingly oblivious to what – and who – was waiting for him at the other end.

‘I haven’t seen the kids all day. Where are they anyway?’ he asked a few seconds later.

Nothing ever escaped Neal’s scrutiny and Sara had a ready made answer for his latest query.

‘I thought I told you... Hope is spending the weekend at Cam’s and Liam called and said he was still at Will’s. 

Honey, are you sure you can manage the steps up to the house?’ she asked, changing the subject.

‘It’s only seven steps, I’ll take my time’ he answered, thrilled that there were now fewer impediments to him moving around successfully from A to point B. 

He had his dependable crutches in the back seat of the car and that would be plenty of support for getting around the small space at the Burkes. He was more than ready to resume a normal life and now that he’d said goodbye to Edna, he was preparing to bid Bertha and those damn crutches a fond farewell as well. To be honest, he couldn’t be happier to leave the two old broads behind.

They finally pulled up to the front of the house on DeKalb, the street inundated with cars and Sara double parked so she could help Neal up the steps and walk in with him. She was barely managing to keep her excitement in check. She was looking forward to seeing his face as he realized that all their friends were there for him... for them. Her heart skipped a beat as she stepped out to help Neal out of the car. 

It was show time!  
WCWCWC

‘There here!’ Liam exclaimed. 

He’d been acting as lookout as he sat on the Burkes’ living room couch, peeking out between the curtains like some neighbourhood busybody. 

‘Everybody!’ Peter said in a shouted whisper. ‘They're here!’

The guests took their assigned positions for the big reveal, intent on keeping Neal in the dark until the last possible second. The younger kids were engrossed in a game of ‘duck, duck, goose’ in the backyard and El pulled the back door closed halfway so they wouldn’t be immediately visible from the front door as she set out to welcome Neal and Sara. She stood, holding her breath and from his vantage point, Peter saw her gasp as she looked out the door at their guests making their way up the steps.

She glanced at Peter from his hiding place behind the bookcase. 

‘Neal’s climbing up the stairs’ she whispered, her voice choked up as she watched their friend struggle with the task.

Everyone held their breath for what seemed like forever. A month ago, Neal would have sprinted up those steps two at a time but today, the climb was long and painfully arduous. El could see Sara holding his arm as Neal pulled himself up each step with the help of the handrail, the struggle obvious on his strained face. It was quite the sight and Elizabeth watched in awe as Neal smiled with unbridled pride as he finally reached the landing. Sara reached out to open the outer door to the house to find Elizabeth standing there, eyes watery and a big smile on her face.

‘Hi! Sara told me about your latest exploit but that’s quite a sight to see’ she said to a grinning Neal.

He took the last big step into the house proper as Elizabeth and Sara both held onto to him. He was breathing hard from the effort but he was thrilled not to have to rely on his wheelchair anymore. They had just stepped through the inner door with everyone braced to come out of the kitchen to greet them when, pre-emptively, little Beatrice ran in from the backyard, spotting her godfather by the door. With a loud shriek, she ran towards him with all the unrestrained enthusiasm of a fifteen-month-old.

‘Neeeeeal’ she squealed at the sight of him.

He looked up to see her sprinting towards him, bracing himself against Sara as Bea made a run for him, her arms flung open, gunning for his legs and within the blink of an eye, she had her arms firmly clasped around his knees as she giggled uncontrollably. She hadn’t seen him in over a week and Neal reached down to pick her up, unsteady, before Sara intervened, swooping in and taking the child into her arms, so that Neal could hug her.

‘Bibi? What are you doing here?’ Neal cried out, totally confused as to why his goddaughter was in the Burke house. 

Before he could form a single coherent theory, the remainder of the guests appeared in his field of vision with a hearty chant of ‘Surprise’ as Neal stepped back in shock almost losing his balance in the process.

The look on his face was priceless as he suddenly computed that the Burke living room was decked out for a party and that the house was filled with all those he held dearest. He spotted Emily in the crowd as well as Hope and Liam who ran over to greet him with a warm hug, taking him by the arms and leading him to a nearby armchair as everyone gathered around him. His legs were suddenly unsteady but his face was lit up like a Christmas tree as one by one, the guests made their way to where he sat, Neal’s mouth still hanging open as he took in the sight of all those loving faces surrounding him.

‘I’ll go move the car’ Hope offered as she took the keys from her mom’s hand.

‘And can you bring in Dad’s crutches?’ Sara added as she and Cam left temporarily. 

She watched as Neal sat, grinning uncontrollably as adults and kids alike paraded to greet him, one by one. He looked like he was holding court as Sara sat next to him on the arm of the chair, accepting hugs and best wishes for their anniversary.

‘Uncle Neal!’ said Virginia as she ran in from the back of the pack to hug him.

‘Ginny! How are you, sweetheart?’ he asked as Diana and Christie looked on.

The chaos slowly dissipated as everyone returned to party mode with the loud buzzing of multiple conversations punctuated by the happy giggles of the children in the backyard.

Neal struggled to stand, coming face to face with his wife. ’Why is it you don’t look surprised?’

‘Why do you think?’ she asked in return, grinning the wide grin of someone who’d managed to pull the wool over Neal Caffrey’s conman eyes.

Neal hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d arrived and he continued with the loopy grin, putting his arm around his wife and pulling her in for a thank you kiss.

‘I was afraid we wouldn’t make it when you said you were tired and then when you woke up and... well I’m just glad I didn’t slip up’ she admitted as she ran her hand gently over his forehead, returning a wayward strand of hair into his near perfectly coiffed mane. 

’Oh, here’ she added as she grabbed for her purse and handed him the tie she’d hidden there. He gave it back to her, eyebrows raised, silently asking her to do the honours.  
‘I want to look into your eyes when you do it’ he said sappily. 

She giggled at the thought and she positioned herself behind him as they both faced the mirror in the Burke’s front hall. She began to lovingly place the tie around his neck.

‘Neal Caffrey’ she said with a slightly exasperated sigh. ‘You are the biggest sentimental fool I have ever met.’

‘Would you want me any other way?’

‘No’ she admitted, staring at him in the mirror and allowing herself a moment of uncharacteristic over-sentimentality. ‘Absolutely not!’


	54. Chapter 54

‘I am so glad you’re here’ Sara said as she sat in a quiet corner of the kitchen, sharing a glass of wine with her older sister.

Emily took her hand. ’Where else would I be?’ 

‘When I think of all the years we spent apart...’ Sara began wistfully as she looked into Emily’s eyes.

‘Let’s think ahead to all the years we’ve got left instead, okay?’

‘He looks pretty happy’ she added, changing the subject and pointing to Neal who was talking animatedly with Jones in the nearby living room.

Sara grinned as she took in the sight of her smiling husband, looking just as he should, relaxed, confident, enjoying the attention and obviously thrilled to be surrounded by those he loved.

‘He does, doesn’t he?’ she said, pleased with herself for having pulled off the surprise.

‘Looks like we managed to pull a fast one on Neal’ El said as she joined the Ellis sisters.

‘For a while there, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get him here.’ 

‘Well, you did good’ El said as she patted her arm. ‘Looks like he’s having a great time.’

WCWCWC

‘Anyway, it’s great to see you up and about’ Jones said, stepping away to deal with one of his boys.

‘It’s great to see you too, Jones’ said Neal shaking his friend’s hand, gansta style.

Peter appeared carrying libations as Jones retreated temporarily to the back of the house. 

‘Wine?’ Peter asked as he handed Neal a glass of fine red.

‘Thanks’ Neal said with a grin; he hadn’t stopped smiling since he’d stepped into the house.

‘So, we finally managed to con the great Neal Caffrey’ Peter said, rather proud of himself for managing not to spill the beans.

‘I guess I was so focussed on my anniversary surprise for Sara, my radar wasn’t working at full capacity’ Neal admitted.

‘It’s not often we can pull one over on you, buddy’ said Peter.

Neal shrugged in defeat. ‘So, are you still mad at me about this afternoon?’ 

Peter shook his head in irritation, still smarting from the waitress’ knowing wink as they left, Neal surreptitiously slipping his arm into Peter’s.

‘Don’t get me started...’ he said in mock annoyance as Neal giggled to himself.

‘Thanks for this, Peter’ he said, his face growing serious. ‘...and for everything. You and El have really been there for us since all this happened.’

‘What are friends for?’ Peter said dismissively. ‘You’ve been there for us plenty of times.’

‘Well, I do appreciate everything you’ve done to keep the gallery afloat these last few weeks... and for having that chat with Hope’ Neal added.

‘She’s a great kid!’ Peter said as he spied her nearby with little Beatrice in her arms.

‘She is’ Neal answered, thoughtfully. ‘…and we get to keep her home with us until after Christmas.’

‘That’s great news!’ 

Peter was pleased with the outcome – Hope had wanted to stay behind more than anything and now that Neal was looking to open the school of art, she would be able to be in on some of the planning.

‘When do you think you’ll be ready to open the school?’ Peter asked.

‘As soon as possible. We just need to find the right place.’

‘And what’s the right place?’ Peter asked.

‘The right location for one thing, near the kids who can most benefit from it’ Neal mused ‘... and it needs a large lobby.’

Peter frowned at Neal’s last comment but before he could ask why the size of the lobby was a factor in his choice, Yvonne summoned everyone to the table for dinner. The kids had eaten a little earlier and Carmen, the party lady, was gathering them in the backyard for a movie under the stars, complete with popcorn and cotton candy. 

Dinner was a great success; the food, amazing and the company, excellent. The steady hum of banter didn’t let up for a moment as conversations flowed without interruption, punctuated by sips of the delicious wine and bites of pure bliss. Sara sat next to Neal and every few minutes she would sneak a glance his way, noticing how relaxed he looked and how comfortable he was in this setting. She was thrilled to be able to give him something so precious for their wedding anniversary: the company of their nearest and dearest friends. 

Mozzie had grabbed his plate and headed out to join the younger set outside; he could be heard laughing hysterically as the soundtrack of ‘Finding Nemo’ wafted through the house. 

Hope and Liam sat at the ‘grownup’ table, looking so very mature, both of them involved in conversations with the adults around them. Liam, especially, had really blossomed throughout this whole ordeal. Losing his grandmother and having his dad seriously injured had brought out the best in him and he’d changed in ways Sara was still coming to terms with. He was her baby and she’d been protective of him for the better part of thirteen years, keeping him safe and healthy and now, it appeared, not only could he successfully fend for himself, he was there to support those around him.

Sara snuck a peek at Hope and Cam, noticing the young man’s hand on her daughter’s lap, the two of them exchanging furtive glances which she immediately recognized as a prelude to more intimate exchanges. She and Neal still shared those same longing looks almost twenty years after committing to each other and she knew from the look in her daughter’s eyes that Hope had fallen in love with this quiet, unassuming young man. It seemed their family was changing and suddenly Sara felt a twinge of sadness at the realization that the kids wouldn’t be around forever.

‘You okay?’ she heard as Neal’s hand suddenly appeared in hers.

She turned to look into his eyes, noticing the light from the candles dancing in that sea of blue.

‘Yeah’ she said wiping the corner of her eye. ‘I’m just so happy to be here with all of our friends.’

Neal nodded. ’Thanks Repo. This was a wonderful surprise.’ 

They were interrupted by the clanging of glasses as the guests, who’d picked up on the intimate moment between them, began to clamour for a kiss from the happy couple. Neal gave them the obligatory eye roll before deciding to give them their money’s worth and leaning into Sara, he gave her a long passionate kiss to the hoots and hollers of all the guests. 

WCWCWC

By ten o’clock, the party had started to wind down slowly but surely as the excitement of the festivities finally caught up to the little ones.

Neal sat in the Burke living room with little Bea sound asleep, snuggled up in his lap, and Michael and Jonathan Jones on either side of him as he finished up reading ‘Goodnight Moon’ to his captive audience. He loved that book; he’d read it countless times to both his kids over the years. It’d had a calming effect on them when they were little and Neal relished the opportunity of reliving those precious moments with his beloved goddaughter, little Beatrice Sara Jordan. It always had the same effect on her – she’d start by studying Neal’s expressive face with her big blue eyes as he read, hanging on to his every word, eventually turning her attention to the book when he got to the part about the ‘three little bears sitting on chairs’. She rarely made it all the way to the end of the story, usually petering out somewhere around the page with the kittens and mittens but Neal always kept reading to the very end for his own benefit.

This night was no exception and she lay, cradled in Neal’s arms, as he continued reading for the two little guys who sat in rapt attention on either side of him. Sara listened in wonder at the cadence of Neal’s voice, the way it captivated the children as their eyes went from the page back to his animated face. 

Diana and Christie’s girls gravitated over to where Neal sat, finishing up the story as the boys looked on, barely able to keep their eyes open. Not only was Neal Caffrey a chick magnet, he was a kid magnet too and had been all his life.

‘That book is for babies’ complained Olivia, the older of the two. 

‘Oh, yeah?’ said Neal. ‘I love this book; it’s one of my favourites.’

‘Really?’ Virginia added as she poked her head out from behind her big sister.

‘Sure’ Neal said.

‘I like it too’ she admitted hesitantly.

‘Michael, why don’t you scoot over and make room for Ginny’ Neal asked as the child slid down the couch to make room for the little girl.

Virginia slipped in between him and Neal in the warm spot Michael had vacated and she found just the right angle to curl up against her uncle Neal’s solid body as he put an arm around her. 

‘Can you tell us about the time you and my mom caught the bad guy who wanted to hurt Sara?’ asked Olivia.

The same stories had been making the rounds for years now and every time Neal told them, they were further embellished, becoming larger than life.

‘Oh, now that’s an epic tale!’ he declared as he closed the book on his lap, careful not to disturb little Bea’s quiet slumber.

All eyes were on Neal as he began, all five children around him, mesmerized.

‘Your mom... and your dad’ he added as he looked at the boys, ‘...are the bravest FBI agents in the whole New York office. Everybody says so. Whenever the other agents see them coming, they hide under their desks, trembling with fear.’

The boys listened, their eyes wide as Neal spoke. He gave Olivia a discreet wink. At eleven, she loved to hear about her mom’s exploits as ‘Badass Berrigan’ but she was nowhere near as gullible as the younger boys were.

‘This one time’ Neal said, dropping his voice to barely a whisper ‘Auntie Sara and I were trying to stop a bad guy who had stolen a very expensive violin. Your mom and I were backing her up and we were listening to what was going on from the FBI van.’

He stopped momentarily to make sure his interpretation of the tall tale was having the desired effect on his target audience. Seeing the sparkle in little Ginny’s eyes, he continued, his voice growing louder, doing his best to impart the excitement of the tale he was recounting. 

‘The bad man wanted to hurt Sara so your mom and I rushed in to save her and we got there just in the nick of time. Your mom was very brave and she wrestled the man to the ground until he cried uncle and then she arrested him, put handcuffs on him and dragged him all the way back to the FBI by his hair while he screamed like a little baby’ he concluded as gasps were heard from the two little boys.

The audience, or at least the segment of the audience that was under three feet tall, sat enthralled as Neal recounted the embellished tale despite the profusion of eye-rolling from the adults nearby. 

‘And then, there was the time your daddy had to help me and Uncle Peter get ready for a boxing match. We were trying to catch a bad guy and your dad was teaching us how to pretend to fight so we wouldn’t hurt each other. He had to plant a bug in the boxing ring while the bad guys weren’t looking and he almost got caught but he didn’t care. He was fearless’ he added as Ivy Jones looked over at her husband in mock admiration.

The kids continued to listen, fascinated, as Neal regaled them with a few other choice anecdotes before Clinton and Ivy finally pulled the plug and decided it was time to call it a night. They corralled their boys, thanking their hosts for the wonderful evening and wished everyone a good night. 

‘You know, you really have to stop with those glorified stories’ Peter whispered to Neal out of the corner of his mouth. 

‘What are you talking about Peter? I’ll have you know, those are one hundred percent factual and an integral part of the FBI folklore’ Neal said with a playful smile.

Peter responded with a smirk; truth was, he loved to watch Neal in action with the kids and over the years he’d often wished he’d had the ability to interact with children the way his best friend did. Except for his relationship with Hope which had always been free and easy – mainly because of Hope’s easygoing nature – Peter had always been self-conscious around children and he never quite knew how to behave in their presence. Neal seemed to hit it off with every kid that crossed his path - perhaps, Peter mused, because he was impulsive and spontaneous just like them. 

One by one, the parents collected their offspring. Hope, Liam and Cameron disappeared into the night and Emily headed over to her hotel room, leaving the Burkes and the Caffreys to relax with a fine glass of scotch from Peter’s private reserve. 

Neal sat, his arm around Sara while Peter and Elizabeth snuggled nearby, the women’s shoes strewn on the ground and the guys’ ties hanging limply from their shirt collars.

‘This was an amazing night’ Neal declared as he took a long slow pull of the amber liquid.

‘It was!’ Sara agreed, her head lying back on the couch. 

‘I’m really glad it lived up to your expectations’ Elizabeth said, curling up against Peter.

She looked like she was about to fall asleep right there in the middle of the living room and she let her eyes close temporarily as Peter pulled her in to him.

‘El, you are by far the best hostess in all of the tristate area’ Neal said, lifting his glass to toast their tired friend.

‘Anything for you guys’ El said with a smile. ‘Don’t you know that by now?’

Although the four of them were exhausted, particularly Neal, nobody wanted to move and they sat there for a long time, enjoying the comfortable silence, the solid companionship and the excellent taste and aroma of the fine Glenfiddich. 

The drive home was quiet, Neal trying his best not to fall asleep so he could keep his driver company.

‘Honey, I love that you thought to plan this party’ he said, reaching out to take her hand.

‘And I love that you loved it’ she replied with a faraway smile.

‘Would it be okay if we slept on the hide-a-bed tonight? I don’t think I have the energy to make it up those stairs.’ 

‘We can sleep wherever you want’ Sara replied with a satisfied smile. 

There was silence and despite his best efforts, Neal felt his eyes close as the streetlights glowed intermittently on his tired face.

TBC


	55. Chapter 55

In hindsight, there had been warning signs as early as Sunday night. Neal had been particularly tired all day Sunday and he’d excused himself right after dinner to move over to the family room where he'd proceeded to flake out in front of the television set. It had been a very busy weekend what with two anniversary celebrations and he’d been burning the candles at both ends. He wrapped himself in a blanket and settled in on the couch, hoping that whatever was ailing him would pass with a little rest. When Sara checked on him an hour later, he’d fallen into a dead sleep and needed help getting upstairs to bed. 

Being back in their bedroom was a huge step for Neal. If he didn’t overdo it and used the stairs just once in the morning and again at night, he could manage them. There was nothing like being back in his own bed. 

On Monday morning, he rose somewhat refreshed and insisted on going in to the gallery as planned. He had arranged to visit a property in Silver Beach and he didn't want to miss the opportunity to check the place out. It was the first location they’d be considering as the new home of the June Ellington School of Art and Neal had a good feeling about its potential. 

He dragged himself through the day somehow, greeting customers, meeting with a new artist and even doing some inventory. Peter was sufficiently concerned about his best friend to call Sara at lunch to let her know Neal had been looking beat when he’d headed out to the Bronx with Cindy and Hope tagging along.

By dinner time, he looked ragged, his legs were shaky and he could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He begged off on dinner and crawled upstairs to the bedroom, almost instantly falling into a deep sleep. By the time Sara went up to check on him, he was sleeping restlessly and she began to wonder if she should take him to the hospital to get checked out. 

They had their regular checkup with Dr. Miller the next morning and she decided to let him sleep and simply keep an eye on him until morning. 

She woke at a little past 2:00 to find Neal shaking and coughing horribly; he was running a fever, his eyes glazed over and his mind confused. 

‘Neal?’ she said as she turned on the bedside lamp in order to get a better look at him.

He moaned as the light flooded the room, making his displeasure known in no uncertain terms. The sheets were soaked in sweat and his eyes, when they finally opened, were wild and unfocussed.

‘Honey, you’re running a fever’ Sara said as she reached out to touch his forehead.

‘Hmmmph’ he moaned, pushing her hand away. ‘I just want to sleep.’

Dr. Miller had been clear about the increased risk of infection and even though Neal was taking a low dose of antibiotics to counteract the absence of his spleen, he was still at a higher risk for catching bugs that floated unsuspectingly nearby. 

‘Neal, look at me’ Sara said more insistently. ‘We need to get you checked out.’

He turned his back to her, burying his head in his pillow. ’I’m fine... just tired’ he muttered, much like a five-year-old whose mom was trying to get him out of bed to go to school.

Sara got up, ignoring his protests and started to look around the bedroom for something to change into. She’d been sufficiently spooked by Dr. Miller’s dire warnings about the dangers of not having a spleen… spooked enough to decide to have him checked out immediately. And she wasn’t about to take no for an answer. Digging up the phone number for Neal’s case coordinator, she made the call only to be told by the triage nurse on call to bring him in to the nearest hospital to have him looked at. 

‘How high is his fever?’ she asked as Sara scrambled to find the thermometer in the medicine cabinet.

‘I haven’t managed to take it yet... but the sheets are soaked and so is he’ Sara said, finally remembering that the thermometer was still in Liam’s room from his recent bout with the flu.

‘I wouldn't take any chances’ said the woman. ‘I think you should bring him in. We’ll make sure you don’t have to wait too long.’

Sara nodded and thanked the woman, opening the door to Liam’s room and trying to make it to his bedside without disturbing his sleep.

‘What’s going on?’ he mumbled as he sat up in bed.

‘It’s your dad, he’s running a fever. I’m going to have to take him to the hospital.’ she replied, finally locating the thermometer and making her way back to Neal.

Without hesitation, Liam climbed out of bed, following his mom back to his parents’ bedroom. He watched as Sara coaxed Neal to let her take his temperature and he turned to leave, returning barely a minute later, fully clothed.

‘I’m coming with you’ he declared. 

His dad was a solid 180 pound bag of muscle which at the moment was totally uncooperative. He wasn't about to let his mom struggle on her own to get him out of the house and into the car.

‘Dad’ he said, taking charge. ‘Sit up and I’ll help you get some clothes on.’

Neal opened one eye, wincing in pain and let out a phlegmy cough as he attempted to turn over in the bed. Liam caught his arm and physically raised him into a sitting position as Neal moaned in protestation. In no time, Liam had dressed him in track pants and a t-shirt as Neal sat, barely able to keep from keeling over. His objections, although vocal, were soft and quiet; he didn’t have the energy to fight his son off.

‘How are we going to get him downstairs?’ Sara asked, worried.

‘Do you think we should call an ambulance?’ Liam asked as he imagined his dad tumbling down the staircase and landing in a pile of bones at the bottom.

‘NO!’ Neal suddenly shouted in a loud voice both of them were surprised to hear ‘No ambulance.’ 

‘Dad, if you don’t want an ambulance, then you have to cooperate and do what Mom and I tell you to’ Liam said authoritatively. ‘Do you hear me?’

Neal’s attempt at a negative response brought on another coughing fit, rendering him unable to protest and he nodded in understanding as Liam and Sara stood on either side of him to help him off the bed. His legs were rubbery and unstable and he faltered for a moment before grabbing the edge of his walker which Sara had brought closer. He managed to drag himself the short distance to the top of the staircase as Liam and Sara spotted him on either side. The short trek seemed to have totally exhausted him and he shook, coughing uncontrollably as Liam helped him slither down gently to the ground right at the top of the stairs. 

Sara and Liam exchanged worried looks; how were they ever going to get him safely to the car? Despite his superior problem-solving skills, Neal Caffrey was presently unable to contribute to finding a solution to their quandary and he sat there at the top of stairs like a useless sack of potatoes, his breathing become shallower. 

Suddenly, he spoke, surprising them both. ‘I’m gonna... throw up’ he said weakly.

Liam left his side and ran to get the trash can from the bathroom while Sara sat there with her arm around her husband. 

Liam returned just in time for Neal to deposit the small snack he’d had that afternoon into the trash can, gasping for air from the effort he was exerting. He kept clutching his chest and he looked up at Sara, connecting with her, his eyes watery, his face glistening, dredged in sweat.

‘What about if you go down on your bum?’ Sara suggested once she had his undivided attention.

He nodded weakly as he prepared to let himself slip down the first step.

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute Dad. I’ll go down first and Mom will hold your arm’ he said as he took the first few steps and turned to face his dad.

Despite the overwhelming odds against them, the trio managed to make it down the stairs without further incident. Neal continued to shake uncontrollably, his breathing shallow and irregular. The wheelchair was still in the house and Liam ran to get it, settling his dad into the contraption Neal had dearly hoped he’d outgrown. He looked up at Sara, then Liam, his face sad at the realization that he still needed help from the chair.

‘It’s okay, honey’ Sara ventured, reading his thoughts. ‘It’s just a small setback.’ 

The effort to lift him into the car was considerable but once he was safely seated in the back seat next to Liam, he let himself fall into his side, sleeping off and on as he continued to shake uncontrollably despite the warm summer night. Sara’s hands shook as she drove the short distance to White Plains Hospital, hoping there’d be help at the other end to get Neal out of the car and into the ER. Her prayers were answered when, upon arrival, an orderly came out with a wheelchair, practically lifting Neal out of the car and placing him into the chair before getting him inside. As promised, the wait was short, Neal having been deemed a top priority case and within ten minutes of their arrival, the threesome was settled in a small examination room at the back of the emergency room waiting for the doctor to arrive.

Neal’s face was calmer as he lay, undisturbed on the bed. Between the frequent and severe coughing fits, he slept, his forehead glistening, his breathing uneven. 

The door to the room opened and Sara looked up in relief, recognizing Dr. Mercer, the same ER doctor who had tended to Neal on the day he’d cut his chin a couple of weeks back.

‘Hi’ he said in greeting. ‘We’re going to have to let you guys in on our frequent flyer program.’

Sara smiled weakly; it was nice to see a familiar face and now that Neal was safely in hospital, she was confident that the doctor would be able to help him. She and Liam stepped away from Neal’s side to give Dr. Mercer room to manoeuvre and Liam stood with his arm around his mom as they both waited anxiously for some sort of diagnosis.

They didn’t have to wait long. After some cursory poking around and a check of Neal’s vital signs, Dr. Mercer was ready to formulate a verdict.

‘Your husband has bacterial pneumonia’ he declared solemnly. 

‘Pneumonia? But how?’ Sara blurted out.

‘He’s very vulnerable to infection right now. If he lets himself get run down, all it takes is a casual contact with some virus or bacteria and... Bob’s your uncle’ said the good doctor with a shrug.

‘Has he been in contact with anyone who’s been sick?’ he continued.

Sara thought back to everyone who’d been at the party on Saturday night, a bare 48 hours before.

‘We were at a party and there were a lot of people there but that was just two days ago’ she said.

‘That’s all it takes’ replied Dr. Mercer as Neal lay there sleeping, aided by the medication which had been administered intravenously. ‘His body is a walking invitation for a multitude of infections, viral or bacterial. He needs to rebuild his immune system and that takes time.’

‘But so soon?’ Sara asked.

‘In the case of bacterial pneumonia, the incubation period can be as short as one to three days’ he said as he looked from Sara to Liam.

Seeing the worry in their eyes, he continued. ‘Look, except for this little setback, Neal is healing well and he’s a strong, healthy man. With a course of aggressive antibiotics, chances are we’ll have him back on his feet in a few days.’

Sara wanted to believe him but seeing Neal in this state after watching him thrive just two days earlier was unnerving and she began to wonder if a full recuperation wasn’t just a mirage. 

‘I’d like to admit him for a day or two and see how he responds to the medication but if all goes well, he can go home in a couple of days if he promises to lay low and give his body a chance to rebound from this latest little... mishap’ Dr. Mercer said.

‘Okay’ Sara said, nodding in understanding.

She could do this... compared to what they’d been through, this was just a small bump in the road to Neal’s recovery. She needed to stay positive and help him through this latest hiccup. She watched as Dr. Mercer retreated and she picked up the cool cloth left behind by one of the nurses. She lovingly wiped Neal’s brow.

‘It’s okay honey’ she whispered into his ear. ‘You just get some rest and everything will be all right.’

TBC


	56. Chapter 56

Tuesday was a total blur for Neal as he floated in and out of a drugged sleep, vaguely aware of friends and family members drifting in and out of his field of vision. He remembered feeling Sara wiping his brow, the nurses coming in and out and adjusting his IV, Hope reading to him and Peter, looking rather worried as he sat by his bedside, holding his hand.   
By Wednesday morning, he was more alert and he woke to find Sara sleeping by his side in a nearby chair, her mouth slightly open as she drooled ever so sweetly. He was unable to stifle the soft chuckle that escaped his lips at the sight of his beautiful wife in such an unguarded moment. The gentle sound woke Sara and she opened her eyes to see his smiling face, a welcome sight after the last couple of days.

‘You’re awake!’ she exclaimed as she stood to make her way to the bed.

Neal smiled back at her, noticing those worry lines on her forehead and he gently lifted his hand to smooth them over.

‘Hey’ he responded, his voice rough.

He desperately wished he had a toothbrush and he could feel his skin moist and sweaty; more than anything, he wanted to jump in the shower to wash off the remnants of whatever was ailing him.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘You’ve got bacterial pneumonia’ Sara declared, sounding much like a doctor herself, a sure sign that they’d been spending way too much time in hospital recently.

‘Where the hell did I get that?’ he asked as he began to cough uncontrollably.

‘Apparently, Ginny had a minor chest infection when we saw them on Saturday and she somehow contaminated you.’ 

‘Is she okay?’ he asked, suddenly concerned for the little girl. 

Leave it to Neal to be more worried about others than himself even as he lay in hospital, fighting for each and every breath.

‘She’s fine. It’s not a serious infection at all, she’s barely coughing. Your body reacted to the bacteria she was carrying and you weren’t able to handle it quite as well as she was’ Sara explained as she ran her hand lovingly through Neal’s hair, not caring about his unkempt look in the least.

Neal thought back to that night as Ginny curled up by his side and how she’d given him a nice wet kiss before leaving, something he’d appreciated at the time. In retrospect, it seemed she’d been sharing more than her unbridled affection for her uncle.

‘When can I come home?’ Neal asked, suddenly remembering just how much he hated being in hospital.

‘Take it easy, Neal! You’ve got to give yourself time to get your strength back’ Sara admonished. 

‘Can’t I do that at home?’ he asked, his eyes pleading.

Sara smiled obligingly; she wanted him home too but she was not about to take any more chances with what was turning out to be a very precarious recovery.

The door to the hospital room opened and in walked Dr. Miller. Neal put on his best smile, hoping he could convince her he was feeling well enough to leave the hospital but over the past few weeks, she had gotten to know her handsome patient and she could see right through the Caffrey charm, choosing to ignore his attempt at manipulation. 

‘Neal! Fancy meeting you here’ she said as she read his vitals on the nearby chart. ‘So, what’s the deal here? Did you think you were immune to all this stuff?’ 

He gave the woman his best shoulder shrug/demure smile combo and waited for it to work its usual magic.

‘What do you think I am? Some lovelorn fifteen-year-old?’ she said, laughing. ‘That look might work on your wife but I’m immune to your charms, mister.’

Neal’s smile melted as fast as it had appeared; apparently, it had lost some of its effectiveness over time – or maybe it was just the sorry state of him as he lay there, unkempt and covered in sweat.

‘The good news is that you’re responding amazingly well to the antibiotics we’re giving you’ said Dr. Miller as Sara let out a sigh of relief.

‘The bad news is’ she continued ‘...this is your life from now on, Neal. You have to become more aware of every possible contact that might lead to an infection. That little girl...’ she began before Neal interrupted.

‘Ginny’ he corrected. ‘Her name is Ginny.’

‘Ginny... she was barely affected by this upper respiratory infection but when the bacteria entered your body, you weren’t able to fight it and within 48 hours it had totally taken over everything. It’s a good thing Sara brought you in when she did, the earlier we fight back with this kind of thing, the better.’

‘So how do I... go about living my life?’ Neal asked, suddenly worried.

Up until this point, Dr. Miller’s warnings had been just words but now, they’d become all too real and the last thing Neal wanted was to live life having to avoid being close to those he loved.

‘You just have to be more cautious. Keep taking your low dose of antibiotics and be on the lookout for anyone in your surroundings who might have symptoms of the flu or some other type of infection. It isn’t always possible but if you know for a fact someone near you is sick, you have to try to avoid direct contact, you know, wash your hands often... the usual’ she said.

‘But after the operation, you said I had a ‘secondary spleen’?’ 

‘You do – and it might afford you some protection over time but there are no guarantees of that’ she answered as she prepared to take her leave. ‘In the meantime, you have to pace yourself, Neal.’

The woman looked over at Sara for emphasis. She was getting to know the couple and although she found them both charming and endearing, it was obvious that Neal was the impulsive one in their coupling and that his wife was the voice of reason, the one who kept him from doing things without thinking them through.

Neal nodded as he listened to the doctor’s admonitions. For better or for worse, his current predicament was a direct consequence of having lost his spleen to that gunshot wound but he had no regrets. If it meant that he’d managed to keep Hope was safe, well, it was well worth it.  
WCWCWC

Neal was released from hospital on Thursday morning and under Sara’s watchful eye, he resumed some of his activities. He continued his therapy sessions with Clive, feeling stronger every day and navigating the stairs more confidently as time passed. His residual cough finally abated after about a week of rest – a week during which he had practically driven Sara crazy with his pleas to be set free. On the following Monday, he went back to work having recovered sufficiently to return to his beloved gallery - and not a moment too soon. 

Cindy had agreed to work with Neal as the director of the June Ellington School of Art’s Foundation and Neal was thrilled to have her on board. He knew she had what it took to lobby for funding and within the first two weeks, she’d already gotten a firm commitment from one of the larger galleries to fund one of their classes for the coming year. Hope, Neal and Cindy continued scouting locations for the school but Neal had a very specific vision in mind and so far, he had yet to find that diamond in the rough he hoped to transform into a monument to June’s memory.

Whenever he had to walk for any length of time, Neal began using a cane which gave him just the right level of confidence so he could safely carry out his activities. The stairs became easier to navigate and Neal resumed painting in his studio in the basement, often going down there with Hope at his side. 

That was where, on a Sunday, ten days after his release from hospital, Neal put the finishing touches on his rendition of June’s beautiful face on canvas.

‘Dad, it’s gorgeous!’ Hope exclaimed as she looked over from her present work in progress.

‘Thanks’ he replied modestly.

He was pleased with how it had turned out and he looked forward to eventually hanging it in the front hall of the June Ellington School of Art, complete with a written text, a loving tribute to the woman who had inspired the project.

‘So, I’ve been thinking about that place over on Abbott...’ Hope said, referring to one of the locations they’d recently visited as a potential site for the school.

Neal interrupted. ‘It’s not gonna be that place on Abbott’ his voice sang.

‘Why not?’ 

The place had many of the features they’d been looking for and Hope had really liked the neighbourhood, figuring they could really work at making this place an amazing school.

‘Because we need a large lobby’ Neal answered cryptically.

Hope dropped what she was doing and walked over to where he sat, perched on a stool in front of June’s loving face.

‘Okay, Dad… give!’ she said, an edge of irritation to her voice. ‘You’ve said that a few times now and you still haven’t told me why we need a large lobby.’ 

As she got closer to Neal’s work area, she noticed a number of familiar photographs strewn across his worktable – all photographs of the mural at her grandma June’s house. The pictures were different sizes and taken from different angles, some with more detail than others. Neal saw her spying the pictures and figured it was time to come clean.

‘Because, sweet pea...’ he said slowly. ‘…you and I are going to recreate a version of the mural from your old room at Grandma June’s house in the lobby of the school’ he said, finally revealing the plan he’d been hatching for the past few weeks.

Hope was taken aback and her mouth dropped open as she stared back at Neal’s ‘pleased with himself’ look – a look she’d seen many times over the years. It was his go to look whenever he thought he’d had an amazing idea or whenever he’d managed to successfully outsmart someone.

‘What?’ was all Hope could think to say.

‘The mansion is on the market now and short of ripping the thing off the wall which I can’t see happening, we’re going to lose that beautiful piece of art. Your grandma promised me that as long as she lived, the mural would remain but... well, I figure you and I could collaborate and bring it to life in our own unique way so that everyone can admire it.’

Hope let out a long slow breath as she took in what her dad was saying. She loved that mural and she visited it every time she went to the house on Riverside Drive. The photograph her mom had taken of the mural still hung in her room and twenty years later, it remained one of her most prized possessions. 

‘You would trust me to work with you on something like that?’ she asked, her voice emotional.

‘Trust you? Honey, what are you talking about? I’d be honoured to have you work on this with me. After all, you were my inspiration for the mural in the first place and for you and I to get the chance to collaborate on something of this magnitude, well, it would be…’ Neal’s voice trailed, as if he was searching for the right words to describe what it meant to him.

Hope’s arms were instantly around her dad’s neck, practically knocking him off his stool and he steadied himself as she shrieked in his ear.

‘But…’ Neal said, pulling away and looking straight into her eyes. ‘…there’s one condition. This is a collaborative effort and we both need to be involved in creating it. The mural is our inspiration but I don’t want to duplicate it.’

Hope’s eyes shone brightly.

‘So, is that a yes?’ he asked. 

She looked into his eyes, seeing the excitement and pride there, second only to the exhilaration she herself was feeling at the prospect of working with her dad on this amazing project.

‘Yes Dad! It is most definitely a yes!’ 

TBC


	57. Chapter 57

It took three more weeks and countless showings but the day they walked into the old abandoned church on Prentiss Street in the Bronx, both Neal and Hope knew they’d finally found their diamond in the rough - a home worthy of their wonderful venture. The price was right and although extensive renovations would be required to bring the building up to their exacting standards, the rectory was large and it was attached to the church giving them a lot of space to work with. Eventually, the old rectory would house the offices, the church proper would be parcelled out into smaller classrooms and there were plans for a large showroom to display their future students’ works of art.

The outside of the building had a majestic feel to it and, in some strange way, it reminded Neal of the house on Riverside Drive. He knew they could make a go of it. Most importantly, the building had a large lobby which would easily house a reception area complete with, as a backdrop, a life size version of the beautiful mural Neal had lovingly painted twenty years before. 

Hope and Neal had been debating the best course of action for the past few weeks, deciding how they would work together on the piece. Although Hope had wanted to replicate it as it was, Neal was unwavering in that regard, insistent that this was a collaborative work and that she needed to add her own perspective on the treasured mural. Long after he stopped walking this earth, the mural would stand as a monument to their collaboration and he wanted Hope to take pride in having contributed to creating the piece, the same pride he’d felt all those years ago.

After the obligatory cracks from the usual suspects (mostly Peter) about Neal finally getting to forge one of his own works, Hope and Neal prepared to go to work on their masterpiece on a warm Saturday morning in August. 

The excitement and trepidation was palpable as the two of them drove into the Bronx. They sat in companionable silence, side by side, both of them getting into the zone. Their creative processes was eerily similar; they both needed to get into their bubble before they started on a new project and Neal glanced over to see Hope, lost in thought as she sat next to him.

‘Are you all right sweet pea?’ he asked, sensing her trepidation.

She smiled that nervous smile he recognized from years of familiarity. ‘I... just don’t want to... mess it up’ she admitted reluctantly.

‘Honey, we’ve been over this. There is no possible way you could mess this up. Why are you having doubts all of a sudden?’ he asked lovingly as they finally arrived at their destination. 

Neal stopped the car directly in front of the stately building and turned to face his daughter. He had been Hope’s cheering section from the time she was a toddler, encouraging her to discover the world through art. From day one, he had resolved to be supportive in a way he would have liked to be supported when he’d started to paint. Perhaps if someone had believed in him back then, he wouldn’t have felt compelled to resort to forgery and he could have put all that energy into expressing himself using his amazing talents. He was adamant that his children would not suffer the same fate and despite the fact that he could be brutally honest when it came to critiquing Hope’s work, it always came from a place of love and a desire to foster her amazing talent.

Hope shrugged; her dad was her number one fan and he’d always encouraged her to be fearless and to take chances but this... this was different. In her boundless and somewhat childlike admiration for her dad’s talent, she equated this to him asking her to reproduce the Mona Lisa and make any changes she deemed appropriate, something that was somehow sacrilegious.

‘Dad, the mural was perfect as it was.’

‘It was perfect, Hope – and it reflected how I felt back then, so excited to know you were coming into the world but now... It’s twenty years later and here you are, all grown up and I have as much to learn from you as you have to learn from me. Honey, I’ve taught you all I know and now... well, you can fly with your own wings.’ 

He stopped to see if his words were having any effect on her before continuing.

‘I know this is going to be amazing, Hope, no matter how it turns out because we’re doing it together’ Neal said, taking her hand in his. ‘Do you know how proud I am to be working with you on this? You’re an artist, Hope Ellis-Caffrey, a very talented artist and the world is your oyster.’ 

She reached over to hug him, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence and a sense of well-being and calm began to inhabit her. He was right, together they could accomplish anything.

WCWCWC

Standing in front of a blank canvas was just like being an author sitting across from an empty page. It was totally unnerving and overwhelming and both Neal and Hope had experienced that all consuming feeling of apprehension countless times before. In that moment, everything was possible and the artist’s excitement and trepidation was both thrilling and terrifying. 

Hope and Neal settled in to begin working. The wall had been prepped the week before and through lengthy negotiation the artists had agreed on how they were going to tackle this huge project. The original had taken five months to paint. Of course back then, Neal was working full-time for the FBI and he would sneak in at night after an exhausted and very pregnant Sara had turned in for the night, stealing moments here and there to create the treasured mural.

This time around, they’d discussed at length the elements that they would like to keep and those that could be re-jigged. Hope loved the focal point of the mural, a ‘trompe l’oeil’ – depicting a door which opened on to a magical world. They agreed that it would be recreated much as it had been originally; the periphery of the mural would become Hope’s domain and Neal had loved the ideas she’d pitched.

He watched her sitting at a makeshift worktable nearby, sketching madly as he began to draw the outline of the piece directly onto the wall. He was able to stand for longer periods of time now although he still got tired after a while and he still had that annoying limp when he overdid things — which he tended to do on a regular basis. 

The sunlight shone through the beautiful stained glass window right over the large wooden door as Neal observed his daughter, deep in the creative process. He was thrilled to be working by her side. Fall semester would be starting in three weeks and he shook off the realization that instead of being with him, collaborating on this wonderful shared venture, Hope could have been packing to leave for Pittsburgh if he hadn’t agreed to let her stay behind for another few months. 

Life had a strange way of working out for the best and he reflected again on how fate had played such a major role in his life, from his chance meeting with June in that thrift shop, to Sara’s presence at his trial, to Peter arresting him all those years ago. For years, he’d tried so hard to orchestrate things, to manipulate people’s actions and reactions, to foretell and control any and all outcomes. It had taken a lifetime to realize that the best things in his life had come to him when he wasn’t plotting and conning and he just let them find him. 

‘Hi’ Neal heard from somewhere behind him as he worked, deep in thought.

He’d spent the morning concentrated on a small area of the wall and he and Hope had been working in virtual silence; he turned towards the familiar voice, startled. 

‘Sara!’ he called out, pleased to see his wife standing there holding a picnic basket.

‘I figured you two wouldn’t even bother to stop and eat if I didn’t bring something by’ she said as she glanced over at their daughter.

The place had really changed since she’d been there a few weeks before and this particular section of the building was fully renovated, allowing them to get started on their mammoth project.

‘Wow, this is amazing’ she said as she took in the stately ceiling, the beautiful stained glass window and the resonating sound of her voice in the open space.

Neal limped over to where she stood and gave her a grateful hug. He was starved and he was only just now realizing it.

‘Have you been on your feet all morning?’ she asked, frowning.

‘Not... all morning’ Neal fibbed as Hope gave him a conspiratorial glance. 

‘Well, come sit ... and eat’ she ordered

‘Yes ma’am’ Neal replied with a Texan twang.

She gave him the evil eye – if there was one thing Sara Ellis hated, it was being referred to as ‘ma’am’.

Hope glanced over at her parents, noting a look of excitement in both their faces. Neal had been spending every waking hour working at the gallery as well as planning for the new school and she was painfully aware that the two of them hadn’t had much quality time together as of late.

‘I was thinking I’d get some air and go for a short walk’ Hope said, noticing how they hadn’t stopped gawking at each other.

‘Okay, honey. We’ll save you some lunch’ Sara said.

Hope made a hasty exit and Sara laid out the blanket she’d brought for the makeshift picnic. She pulled Neal down alongside her, urging him to take a load off his feet and she began to unload the contents of the picnic basket she’d brought.

‘Wow!’ Neal exclaimed as he peeked into the basket. ‘Homemade chicken!’

Sara slapped his arm playfully. ‘You know damn well it’s not homemade if you didn’t make it’ she laughed. ‘but it is from Seventh Avenue Deli.’

‘Mmmmm’ Neal said as he kissed her and she wasn’t sure if he was referring to the chicken or the taste of her lips.

Sara smiled as he hummed. He looked younger, more alive these past few weeks and she was encouraged by the progress he’d been making in his recovery despite the long hours he’d been putting in.

‘Neal, it’s beautiful. It’s the perfect place. June would have loved it.’

He grinned, happier than he’d been in months. He was getting his strength back and he was finally able to get a start on the project which up until now had been nothing more than a pipe dream. Sara had been there every step of the way, encouraging him, giving him free rein on the venture and supporting his every decision.

‘Have I said thank you lately?’ Neal asked, his eyes still glued to hers.

Sara got to her knees and let her hand linger in his hair. She got a mischievous look in her eyes as she spoke. ‘For the chicken? Seriously Caffrey, it was no big deal, I just ran in and...’ 

‘Shut up, Repo’ he said, letting his hands caress her hips.

His gaze grew intense.’ I could never have never gotten through the last few months without you.’

‘Shucks!’ she said, playfully.

‘Stop it! I’m serious.’

‘Neal, we’re a team. Whatever happens to you happens to me.

He let out a long slow breath as he realized once again the depth of her love and commitment, knowing without the shadow of a doubt that he felt the same about her.

‘How did I ever get so lucky?’ he asked.

‘Caffrey’ she said with a grin. ‘You were born lucky.’ 

TBC


	58. Chapter 58

Summer turned to fall in Westchester County – and everywhere else on the western hemisphere. 

Liam Caffrey entered high school at long last and tried out for the basketball team. He was snatched up in the first round of tryouts and began what everyone said would be an epic year as their star rookie.

Hope Caffrey worked harder than she ever would have toiled as a freshman at Carnegie Mellon. She put in 40 hour weeks at the Raphael Gallery and evenings and weekends at the June Ellington School of Art, helping with curriculum development, student recruitment and fun jobs like scrubbing toilets and painting walls.

She’d never been happier.

Sara Ellis returned to work full time and fulfilled the commitment she’d made to her colleagues in Boston and Dallas, visiting each city for a couple of days to talk about her mentoring program at Sterling Bosch. Others were lining up to ask for the same. 

Neal Caffrey gradually began to reclaim his trademark swagger and by late fall, he was back to jogging a couple of mornings a week in their quiet neighbourhood of Prospect Park. He managed to recover from a nasty ear infection which lingered for a couple of weeks and a short bout with the flu which he was pretty sure he’s contracted while rocking a feverish Beatrice Jordan to sleep, against everyone’s best advice. 

It had been worth it. 

He visited the Raphael Gallery daily, although he only stayed for an hour or so. He’d promoted Cameron to the position of manager and the young man was there full time now that he’d graduated from his program at NYU. Cam worked alongside Peter Burke who continued to see to the financial and logistical side of the business to Neal’s delight.

The rest of the time, Neal spent at the school, or thinking about the school, or planning curriculum for the school, or meeting with local principals to promote the school, or meeting with prospective teachers for the school.... His passion knew no bounds and with it, came a truckload of energy to get things done.

A date was set for the official opening: November 29th, almost two years after the Raphael Gallery had opened. Although the gallery had been the long awaited ‘child’ Sara and Neal had long dreamt of and prayed for, the June Ellington School of Art had been that ‘surprise late in life’ baby which had arrived when they’d least expected it, yet had been welcomed with loving arms. It was an unexpected gift of sorts – from its namesake – something Neal would have never dreamed possible yet it was cherished and loved in its own special way. 

Cindy Harrington put her heart and soul into finding benefactors for the school. She left her job as curator of the Devonshire Gallery and began to work full-time alongside Neal, doing any odd job that needed doing to get the school ready for the big opening. She’d been relentless in her search for sponsors, managing to score cash donations to fund the purchase of equipment and supplies and to help subsidize classes and special workshops. 

June’s inheritance had covered the cost of purchasing the building, the extensive renovations and all the basic purchases to get started and there was still plenty left in the coffers to keep it afloat for many years to come if the Foundation continued to recruit donations. The cost of operating such an institution was not negligible and Neal had known from day one that they would require ongoing funding from patrons to remain viable in the long term. The city had contributed to the cause by investing some seed funding; this project fit in perfectly with its neighbourhood revitalization plan and its social policy which focussed on keeping kids off the street and free from gang involvement and petty crime.

All in all, things were going swimmingly and Neal was thrilled to have found this unique way of giving back for everything June had done for him. Although he would never totally forget about the rough start he’d had in life, he refused to fall into self-pity mode and spend his time ruminating about all the disappointments and hardships he’d encountered in his young life. Nowadays, his life was bursting with good things and he considered himself a very lucky man.

He stood in the airport on this chilly late-November afternoon, travellers buzzing around him as he waited for his wife to make an appearance in the arrival lounge. She’d been away for three nights, flogging her mentoring program in Denver, of all places. Insurance companies from all over the country had been showing an interest in the program, wanting to know how she’d set it up, how she went about selecting her underlings and the impact it was having on the bottom line. 

Neal watched the hurried crowd around him, eagerly awaiting Sara’s arrival. He couldn't wait to finally put his arms around his wife and welcome her home. He always missed her when she went away, almost as if a piece of him missing and although he was proud of all her accomplishments, he selfishly longed for her to be by his side every morning when he got up to face the day and every night as they lay together sharing the details of their busy lives.

He caught a glimpse of the reddish head of hair in the sea of travellers and lifted his arm so she could see him in the crowd. The smile that appeared on her face, even from a distance, confirmed that she had spotted him and within seconds, she stood before him looking tired yet thrilled to finally be home.

‘Sorry’ she said as she dropped her bag and laced her arms around his neck ‘our flight was delayed.’

Neal held her tight and took a long slow breath, taking in her wonderful, comforting scent and the familiar sensation of her body against his.

‘I’m just glad you’re here’ he whispered into her ear and all of a sudden, all the noise and buzz of the busy airport faded as she heard him add ‘I missed you!’ 

She pulled away to give him a glorious, albeit exhausted, smile.

‘So, everything okay at home?’ she asked as he grabbed her bag with one hand and took her hand with the other.

‘Yeah, the usual craziness’ he said as they slowly made their way to the baggage claim area along with what looked like half the population of greater New York.

Sara was back and now, Neal was complete.

WCWCWC

Mozzie was waiting when they got home, looking like quite the little housewife in a frilly apron as he and the kids worked to get dinner on the table. He’d learned long ago that he had to pull his weight in the Caffrey household. He’d moved on from being a guest to becoming a full-fledged member of the family and that meant pitching in with meals and clean-up if he was going to hang around and expect to be fed on a regular basis.

‘We’re home’ Neal called from the front door as they walked into the modest yet warm and inviting house on Meadowbrook Street.

‘Mom!’ Liam exclaimed as he ran out from the kitchen to welcome her with a hug.

‘Hey sweetie’ she responded. ‘How are you doing? Dad tells me you had a great first game.’

He shrugged, a self-deprecatory shrug, and Sara instantly recognized a younger Neal in his demeanour.

‘It was okay’ he said, bashfully.

‘Okay?’ Neal chimed in as he placed Sara’s luggage down by the staircase. ‘He was the game high scorer. Sixteen baskets!’

Sara raised her eyebrows in surprise – she knew that sounded like a lot but... what did she know. 

‘Mom?’ Hope called from upstairs as she spotted her parents at the bottom of the stairs ‘You’re home!’

Within seconds she was running down the staircase and hugging her mom as the guys joined Mozzie in the kitchen. The two women followed, arms around each other. 

‘So, how are things with you and Cam?’ Sara asked quietly.

‘Okay’ Hope answered softly. ‘We’re trying to talk things out.’

Sara momentarily dropped the subject, realizing it wasn’t the right time for an in depth discussion on the matter and she gave Hope a squeeze as they arrived in the kitchen to find Mozzie looking a bit frazzled.

‘Neal, next time, more detailed instructions would be appreciated’ he griped as he placed the heated up lasagna on the table.

‘Moz, which part of ‘open the freezer, grab the lasagna and stick it in a 350’ did you not understand?’ Neal asked wryly.

‘Umm, there was also a salad to make’ Mozzie answered in a flustered tone of voice.

Neal scoffed in response; sometimes Mozzie was more of a high maintenance girlfriend than a best buddy.

Dinner was noisy as everyone caught up on each others’ news from the past few days and once they were finished eating, Sara excused herself to unpack and get ready for an early night. She was feeling the fatigue from travelling and being away from her family. The kids dispersed and Neal and Mozzie found themselves alone over a cup of decaf as the leftovers from the meal lay scattered around them on the kitchen table.

‘So, are you nervous?’ Mozzie asked.

‘Nervous? No’ Neal said dismissively. The great Neal Caffrey didn’t do nervous. 

‘A little anxious, maybe.’

‘Well, knowing you, I’m sure you haven’t left anything to chance’ Mozzie said as he took a sip of coffee.

‘El’s taking care of the food, Cindy’s in charge of the guest list, the place is shining like a new penny... I’m just really excited’ Neal said.

’So, are you coming?’ he added almost as an afterthought.

Mozzie’s presence at any shindig of a conventional nature was always a hit and miss proposition. He was still anything but the social butterfly Neal had always been and he usually shunned any event where he had to act social, something Mozzie didn’t do very well. But he’d learned over time that, although Neal never put any pressure on him to be anything else but who he was, he appreciated having Mozzie by his side on those all-important occasions.

‘I might put in an appearance...’ Mozzie answered, his tone non-committal.

He noticed Neal’s barely disguised look of disappointment.

‘Oh, fine’ he grumbled, noticing a smile appearing on Neal’s face. ‘What time does it start?’ 

‘Five’ he answered. ‘Oh and El’s making some of those little dairy-free quiches you like.’

‘Well, then, I will definitely be there’ Mozzie said with a satisfied grin.

WCWCWC

‘What an incredible year it’s been, huh?’ Sara said as Neal lay in her warm embrace.

He tightened his grip around her waist and sighed. ’Yeah… If you’d told me six months ago I’d be running an art school as well as the gallery, I never would have believed you. This wasn’t even on our radar and yet now, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.’

‘Neal, you’re a born teacher and you love people. This lets you do it all’ Sara said as she ran her hand through his hair, feeling the weight of his head against her chest.

‘Well, I’d give it all up to have June back’ he said longingly.

‘I know, honey, but she’s watching and she’s smiling. She would have been so proud to have her name, and her fortune, associated with this school.’ 

Neal lifted his head and looked up at her. ’Did I tell you that Cindy got the local alderman to come and cut the ribbon? That means it’ll be on the news and that’ll really help with publicity.’

‘That’s great! So tell me, how can I help?’ 

‘You’re doing it right now’ Neal said softly as he purred and lovingly ran his hand up and down her arm.

‘Is Hope all right?’ she asked, seemingly out of the blue.

‘What do you mean?’

Except for the fact that she’d been particularly busy, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual about their daughter.

‘She and Cam – they’re going through a rough patch’ Sara confided.

Neal lifted his head again to get a better look at his wife. ‘Really? She didn’t say anything about that.’

‘The apple didn’t fall far from tree, Caffrey. Hope doesn’t share her personal stuff all that easily.’

Neal shook off the brief annoyance he felt at not being in the loop. Hope shared almost everything with her dad but in matters of the heart, she’d still tended to confide in her mom.

‘She and Cam are wondering if they shouldn’t part ways before she goes away to school. Neither one of them wants the other to pine away when they’re living miles apart.’

Neal lay his head back down on Sara’s stomach, arms around her hips as he listened. His original concerns about Hope dating a guy three years her senior had disappeared over time as he’d watched the couple go from being casual acquaintances to a committed couple. He’d even allowed himself to think of Cam as future son-in-law material. 

‘Wow, she didn’t say anything’ he whispered in the dark.

‘Well, don’t go getting involved, honey’ Sara warned. ‘It’s their life, all we get to do is be supportive and be there to pick up the pieces.’

Silence followed as they both began to slowly drift to sleep. Neal heard Sara’s breathing slow down and after a while, he followed, visions of the June Ellington School of Art dancing in his head.

WCWCWC

The morning of November 29th dawned cold and clear and Neal was up at the crack of dawn, his mind reeling at the multitude of details relating to the official opening of the June Ellington School of Art. He sat in the kitchen, alone, going over lists and sipping on lukewarm coffee.

It was finally D-day and he couldn’t be more excited.

TBC


	59. Chapter 59

‘Neal, there’s someone over here I’d like you to meet’ Cindy said as she gently took his elbow and led him away from the small group he’d been chatting with.

She’d been doing her PR thing all evening, making sure Neal met all the funders who were more than happy to be seen in public, hobnobbing with city officials and politicians and getting some recognition for their good deed on such an auspicious occasion. Neal winked at Sara as he left her side for the fourth time in the past hour. She watched him walk away, noting how solid and determined his gait was; it was hard to believe that just a few months ago, his mode of transportation had been a wheelchair.

‘Crazy, huh?’ Sara heard as she turned to see Peter and Elizabeth standing there.

‘I can’t believe the circus this has turned into’ Sara said in agreement.

Unlike the opening of the Raphael which had been an understated affair, this ‘grand’ opening had become a massive community event. Although every phase of the planning and execution had been sanctioned by Neal and Cindy, compromises had been made and the whole affair had turned into much more than they’d bargained for. Benefactors didn’t always donate for purely altruistic reasons; some of them milked their largesse for all it was worth and enjoyed the limelight and the star status they got for their generous ‘act of kindness’. Neal didn’t have much patience for that kind of thing but he knew, better than anyone else, the importance of optics and he’d congratulated himself on more than one occasion for bringing Cindy in to deal with that part of the equation. She was skilled at making each of the funders feel like they were the centre of the universe and letting them believe the school would not have seen the light of day without their generous contribution.

Because the city was donating funding, they wanted their fair share of the limelight and the arrival of the local alderman, accompanied by photographers and reporters, had created quite a stir. The short, stocky bald man beamed as he held court and finished up an interview with a local television personality and Cindy gently coaxed Neal towards the obviously ostentatious man.

‘Neal’ she said, her arm laced in his. ‘this is Paul Knowles, our local alderman.’

‘Mr. Knowles, it’s so nice to finally meet you’ Neal said as he plastered on his patented Caffrey smile.

‘Mr. Caffrey, congratulations on this wonderful project. The school will be a great addition to our community’ he said as he shook Neal’s hand and smiled an overly ‘toothy’ smile.

As far as phoney smiles went, Neal had an excellent radar and this man’s saccharine grin had his radar buzzing off the charts.

‘Well, it’s a labor of love’ Neal said in all sincerity.

‘Ms Harrington was telling me about her grandmother’ said the politically correct man as he stood next to the portrait of June, displayed proudly in the large lobby. ‘It sounds like she was an amazing woman.’

‘You have no idea’ Neal responded as he looked proudly at June’s portrait.

‘Mr. Knowles, will you excuse us for a moment, there’s someone I need to introduce Mr. Caffrey to’ Cindy said, spotting another one of the funders nearby.

‘Enjoy the opening’ Neal said before he was dragged away one more time.

WCWCWC

‘Daddy, when does the class start?’ Michael Jones asked his dad.

‘The class isn’t today, buddy. We’re just visiting the school’ Clinton answered as he held his son’s hand and ushered him through the crowd with Jonathan and Ivy following right behind.

‘But Uncle Neal said I could come and paint’ the child whined.

‘You will, but not until Saturday’ answered his dad with an edge of impatience to his voice.

Fighting off a crowd with a whiny kid in tow was not his idea of a fun night out and despite Neal’s reassurances that it would be a ‘kid friendly’ event, he wondered if they’d made a mistake bringing their offspring along.

‘Hi Michael! Hey Jonathan!’ they heard from behind them as Hope came into their field of vision.

Michael looked up, his face clearly disappointed, as Hope glanced questioningly at Clinton.

‘There was a bit of a misunderstanding’ Jones said. ‘Michael didn’t realize we were just visiting today and that the classes didn’t start until Saturday.’

Hope crouched down to face the little man whose brother had joined him.

‘Would you like to do some painting today?’ she asked, her eyes bright.

The boys nodded enthusiastically as a sudden smile appeared on both their faces.

‘Well, I have something set up in one of the classrooms. Would you like to come with me?’ she asked as Clinton looked on, relieved to have dodged the bullet on ‘pouty’ Michael.

‘But you’ll have to wear an apron so you don’t get your beautiful outfits dirty, is that okay?’ she continued as she took both boys by the hand and led them away.

Clinton looked over at his wife and gave her a relieved smile.

‘Champagne sir?’ asked one of the servers as he put the tray out for them to help themselves.

This ‘official opening’ stuff wasn’t so bad after all, Clinton thought as he reached out to grab a flute.

WCWCWC

‘Elizabeth, you’ve outdone yourself’ Sara said as she tasted one of El’s signature canapés. 

‘I agree, Mrs. Suit’ Mozzie chimed in as he grabbed for another one of his favourite quiches.

‘Glad you like it’ answered Elizabeth, obviously in her element.

Now that she had seen to the planning and preparation, she could leave the execution to her staff and relax as a guest – unless, of course, she spotted one of the staff doing something she didn’t entirely approve of. That was her cue to turn into ‘Gestapo Elizabeth’, snarky comments and all.

‘This is nothing like the gallery opening’ Sara said to Peter.

‘You’re not kidding. This is like a who’s who of local politicians and philanthropists’ Peter answered as he looked around at the over two hundred guests milling around.

Elizabeth looked over at him, surprised but mostly impressed by his extensive vocabulary.

‘Yeah, everyone wants a piece of this’ Mozzie agreed.

‘Well, Neal says that if this is what it takes to bring art to the masses, he’s ready to compromise’ said Sara.

She spotted Neal nearby, hobnobbing with some very snooty looking older woman as Cindy smiled a benevolent smile.

‘So classes start this week?’ Peter asked.

He hadn’t had a decent conversation with Neal in over a week and he was out of the loop on everything including the time frame for the start of their long-awaited programs.

‘Yeah, Neal has hired three teachers to start with - including a specialist to work with a group of kids with special needs. The after school programs begin next Monday and there are five art appreciation classes starting on the weekend for people of all ages’ Sara explained as the crowd chattered around them.

‘Hey!’ said Diana as she joined the group. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Diana!’ Peter exclaimed as he gave his ex-underling a hug. ‘Where are the girls?’

‘Christie’s taken them over to the workshop area so they could play with the other kids.’ 

‘Wow!’ she exclaimed as she looked around the cavernous lobby, taking in the beautiful mural and the memorial to June which was front and centre in a place of honour.

‘I had no idea how beautiful the place was’ she continued.

‘This is the June Ellington School of Art and it’s being run by Neal Caffrey’ Sara said with a grin. ‘Did you really expect anything other than understated elegance?’

Diana laughed in response. Sara was right; Neal never did things half-way and he was determined to honour June in the most appropriate and stylish way possible. 

From all appearances, he had managed to do just that.

WCWCWC

‘Mom! When did you get here?’ Cindy squealed as she spotted Marion coming towards her.

‘I just landed an hour ago’ the woman said as she hugged her daughter.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’ Cindy asked as Neal came up behind them.

‘Ah, the surprise guest has arrived!’ he said with a sneaky smile on his face.

‘Neal!’ Marion said as she hugged him warmly. 

‘You knew?’ Cindy asked, her voice a mixture of pure bliss with just a touch of annoyance.

Neal gave her the Caffrey shrug; he loved to surprise those he loved and by all accounts, this had been a successful foray.

Marion laced her arms into both Neal’s and Cindy’s as she looked around in awe at her surroundings.

‘Now, as someone who travelled across the ocean to be here, I expect the two of you to give me a personal tour of this amazing place’ she said as Cindy continued to stare at her mom in disbelief.

‘I know exactly where to start...’ Neal said as he pulled her towards the memorial to June.

WCWCWC

Cameron Armstrong stood with the rest of the staff of the Raphael Gallery, clad in a dress shirt and a tie - a most uncharacteristic look for the laid-back young man - admiring the mural before him. He had seen the original version at June’s home on one of his visits there and although he’d thought it beautiful at the time, this... this was over-the-top, breathtakingly gorgeous.

Hope appeared by his side, unbeknownst to her boyfriend, who continued to examine the many intricate features of the grandiose piece of art. 

‘You like it?’ she asked.

He let out a long slow breath; as a lover of art, he needed time - and lots of it - when he found himself in front of a masterpiece for the very first time.

‘Like it? Hope, I had no idea how... incredible it would be’ his eyes still glued to the wall.

‘And the place... it’s perfect for it’ he continued as Hope nodded in agreement.

The placement of the mural along the only continuous wall in the cavernous lobby allowed for it to be admired from many different angles. Up close, one could admire the many individual details of the painting which, on their own were beautiful to look at. Taking a few steps back, one could see how the different components melted into each other seamlessly and if one stood all the way back towards the hallway leading to the classrooms, the effect was totally different as everything melted into one cohesive image.

Cameron put his arm around Hope and drew her near as he continued to admire the work of art. Their time together was coming to an end and he had resolved to spend every minute he could with her before her inevitable departure in just over a month. 

He loved this young woman with all his heart, enough to let her go.

WCWCWC

‘Dad’s going to start soon’ Liam announced to his extended family as he continued to move gracefully around the room, inviting everyone to gather around the front of the hall. 

Neal could be seen standing at the microphone on a podium, checking his pockets for what Sara knew where his speaking notes – considering she’d been the one to place them there in the first place. She smiled as she watched her son continue to work the crowd, inciting everyone to step forward. He had come such a long way in the past few months, morphing from little kid to fine young man right before their very eyes. Neal’s unexpected trauma had been the catalyst for Liam to come into his own, taking on more responsibility, coming out of his shy introverted self and opening up to the world around him. 

Neal’s voice could be heard resonating through the microphone as he urged everyone to gather around. It was time for the official opening ceremony, complete with ribbon cutting and cutting of the cake and everyone gathered around the immense lobby to hear Neal’s remarks. 

‘I’d like to thank everyone for coming out today’ Neal began as the crowd began to hush.

TBC


	60. Chapter 60

‘We are thrilled to have all of you here to share in the culmination of the hard work that’s been accomplished in getting this wonderful project on its feet. Everyone I talk to wants to know who June Ellington is’ Neal said as he stared out at the crowd, his eyes searching for his loved ones, the ones who knew all too well who June Ellington was. 

His mission now was to help everyone else discover this wonderful woman and her legacy.

‘Six months ago, I stood before a group of sad faces in a church in Manhattan as we said goodbye to this wonderful woman. June Ellington lived for 93 years and throughout her lifetime, she touched hundreds of lives with her kindness and her generosity. She was a classy lady, a strong woman and above all a caring and generous person who wouldn’t think twice about helping a stranger off the street. At times, in that regard, she might have appeared naive and too trusting but nothing could have been further from the truth. June was worldly and cultured and yet, she was accessible to everyone big and small. She loved children and most of all, she adored her many grandchildren and she loved to watch them grow and thrive as they discovered the world around them.’  
Neal could see the Ellington clan standing together, smiling brightly as he spoke.

‘When it came time to decide the best way to honour her memory, it was obvious to those of us who loved her that whatever we did, it had to be about children and discovery. June loved art, she was an admirer and a patron of many charities related to the arts. For many, however, access to this world is limited by their social status, their financial situation and that is an unfortunate yet harsh reality – one that we hope to change. The June Ellington School of Art, through its many benefactors, will level the playing field and allow all children to discover themselves through art. Speaking of which, some of the kids who are here today have been busy creating their own works of art while us adults have been sipping on champagne and munching on hors d’oeuvres.’

The crowd laughed at his comment as Neal turned towards the door leading to the classrooms. 

‘I’d like to invite them to come in and show us what they’ve been working on’ he added.

Hope appeared with a dozen or so children and she ushered them onto the small dais in front of Neal. They stood proudly as they displayed their treasures and the crowd hummed and clapped in appreciation as Neal stood behind them, beaming with pride.   
This is what it was all about and he looked forward to decades of this – kids feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction at expressing themselves through this wonderful medium where there was no right or wrong, just a feeling of accomplishment.

The kids took a bow and retreated to a kid friendly room for ice cream and cake and Neal continued with his remarks. Although, up until this point, he had been speaking without the need to refer to his notes, he now glanced down at them as he prepared to read off the litany of donors to the school, names of people who, for whatever their reasons, had chosen to donate to this cause. He took his time with each name, asking donors to identify themselves as everyone applauded their generosity. Finally, he asked the local alderman to come forward as he thanked the city for its generosity in helping fund their programs. The man, who obviously suffered from ‘little man syndrome’, stood proudly, chest puffed out as he and Neal stood together, cutting the ceremonial red ribbon as everyone applauded. The opening ceremonies over, Neal made his way back to his family. He wanted to enjoy the moment now that his official duties were finished and he snuck up behind Sara, hugging her in his usual inhibited fashion.

‘Honey!’ she said as she hugged him back. ‘That was great!’

He grinned proudly in response. The pain of the last few months, starting with June’s passing and his unfortunate accident seemed to fade now that the moment had arrived to enjoy the fruits of his hard labor. 

‘Did you see the cake?’ he asked excitedly, the kid in him surfacing momentarily.

‘I did!’ Sara replied with a wide grin.

The far wall, facing the front door had been declared the ‘wall of guests’ and in honour of the opening, everyone had been encouraged to leave a handprint or fingerprint along with a short message. The wall would remain a testament to this wonderful day for years to come. 

The event which had been promoted as a 5 to 7 affair began to peter out slowly as people returned to their regular activities. Tours of the premises were happily carried out by some of the younger staff from the Raphael under the watchful eye of Cam and Hope, who had taken on the responsibility of coordinating the visits. Before long, Neal’s nearest and dearest were the only ones who remained behind, basking in the afterglow, the culmination of months of hard work. 

The group of thirty or so, including the Ellington family, made their way to a local restaurant to close out the momentous day as everyone chattered loudly, the excitement of the special occasion still permeating the air. 

Neal sat, taking in all the happy faces, unaware that he had the biggest grin of all on his face. His arm lay on the back of Sara’s chair, his hand lingering absent-mindedly on her back and shoulder every once in a while. She glanced over at her husband, sensing his unbridled happiness at being surrounded by all of June’s nearest and dearest. Despite the more formal requisite speeches, he hoped he’d manage to convey to all in attendance, the legacy of June Ellington, the woman who continued to inspire him in all he did.

‘Happy?’ Sara asked as she placed a hand on his thigh.

He looked over, grinning broadly.

‘I think they need to invent a new word for how I’m feeling’ he said.

‘June would be so proud of you’ she said as she gave him a squeeze.

His grin disappeared for a moment as sadness seemed to permeate his features.

‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted’ he said, suddenly sounding like a little boy ‘... to make June proud.’

‘Everyone!’ Peter suddenly shouted as he stood with a drink in his hand. ‘I’d like to propose a toast to Neal for the amazing work he’s done and of course to June for being his inspiration.’

Shouts of ‘here, here’ abounded as everyone lifted their glasses.

Neal looked on genuinely embarrassed at the outpouring of recognition and affection. He’d only had one intention in using June’s inheritance in this way and that was to let her generosity live on for years to come.

It was past ten o’clock by the time the group dispersed with hugs all around and promises to keep in touch. 

The June Ellington School of Art was no longer just a dream – it was now a wonderful reality.

WCWCWC

‘You okay?’ Sara asked as she sat across from her husband at the breakfast table.

His excitement and exhilaration of the past few weeks seemed to have transformed itself into quiet introspection.

‘Yeah, it’s just... you know, a little bit of a letdown after all that intense preparation’ he admitted as he stared into his coffee.

He glanced down at the photograph taken the night before of the many guests standing in front of the mural with the name of the school boldly displayed across the top and the portrait of June off to the side. At the very front, stood the children with their treasured artwork, beaming for the camera. He had a very special place in mind for that photograph – well more than one place, actually.  
‘Honey, I need to go out for a little while’ he said cryptically.

Sara looked into his eyes, surmising where he was going and why.

‘Would you like me to come along?’ she asked, placing her hand over his.

‘Naw. I need to do this by myself’ he said as he stood and placed a kiss on Sara’s forehead. ’Thanks, though.’

‘I’ll be here when you get back’ she said softly.

She watched him walk away. He was about to close a chapter in his life and all she could do was be there when he returned, arms open to welcome him home.

WCWCWC

Neal dug deep into his pocket, producing a fifty dollar bill and handing it to the young lady behind the counter.

‘These for someone special?’ she asked as she lovingly wrapped the bouquet in colourful paper.

Neal nodded in response. ‘Very special’ he said.

He thanked the young woman and returned to the car, pulling up his coat collar against the cold late fall wind as he walked. November would be turning into December in just a couple of days and dark skies were threatening to release a few random snowflakes before the end of the day. He placed the large bouquet in the seat next to him and continued on his way. 

The cemetery was in an out of the way neighbourhood on Staten Island and Neal drove the hour long journey in blissful quiet. His thoughts were on the night before, the excitement of seeing everything finally come together, the kids traipsing out onto the stage with their faces alight with pride as everyone applauded. That’s what he would remember from that night in years to come and what he was most eager to share with June. 

He spotted Goethals Bridge in the distance and headed in that direction as a few snowflakes drifted by, not so unexpectedly. The Ellington sisters and Neal had shopped around and finally chosen the Ocean View Cemetery for its calm and picturesque surroundings. June deserved nothing less to have a final resting place which reflected her serene, almost regal, personality. 

The large gate beckoned and Neal drove through, admiring the peaceful surroundings as he did on every one of his visits. He drove down the main road towards a more narrow grassy path and he parked the car on the now familiar side road as he began the slow walk up the middle of the corridor, his gifts firmly in his hands.

June’s grave was about half way up the small path to his left and he began to search for it, from a distance, finally spotting it as he got closer. He wasn’t a big fan of visiting cemeteries and he didn’t believe that June’s spirit dwelled there. He preferred to think she was present in all of them, her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren and now in the halls of the school named in her honour. But on this day, Neal felt an overwhelming need to be there and to leave his gifts by her graveside.

A smile danced on his lips as he got close enough to read the inscription on the tombstone: ‘Here lies June Ellington, much loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so many.’

He, Lorna and Marion had struggled with the inscription. How do you sum up ninety-three years of such a full life in one sentence? And yet, the simple phrase seemed to say it all.

‘Hi June’ he said a little self-consciously as he glanced around to make certain he was alone.

‘I brought you some flowers’ he said as he placed the bouquet lovingly by the gravestone, removing the wilted bouquet he’d left there on his last visit.

He looked up at the threatening skies; if June was anywhere, it was above them, watching over all those she’d loved. His eyes were drawn to the cloudy skies as he continued to speak.

‘We opened the school last night’ he murmured. ‘You should have seen the kids. With all the crazy, pretentious stuff that was going on, they managed to steal the show. You would have loved it’ he said, chuckling softly.   
He swallowed, feeling a lump forming in his throat.

‘I want you to know that I’ll never forget that it’s always about the kids, about giving them the confidence to face whatever hardship they have in their lives... You... you taught me that even a damaged guy like me could make a difference in the world and I want you to know that lesson did not fall on deaf ears. I promise to continue to pay it forward, just like you taught me’ he continued, his voice suddenly shaky.

‘I brought you a keepsake’ he said as he placed the photograph of the smiling children on top of her grave. ‘I wanted you to see that you continue to touch people’s lives. There’ll be hundreds and thousands more in the years to come and as long as I’m alive, I’ll keep the spirit of the school alive. Your spirit.’

His eyes returned to the gravestone and he smiled again. ‘I promise.’

On the walk back to the car, Neal felt lighter and walked with a spring in his step. June had somehow taken a weight off his shoulders although he wasn’t quite certain how that had happened.

He stepped into the car and glanced back down the row of tombstones just as the sun peeked out from behind a wayward cloud.

La fin


End file.
